How I Met The Prince
by natsu-no-sora
Summary: An ordinary summer day turns out to be the life-changing corner for me. Stupid flower, stupid pheromones, stupid gorgeous prince. Oh, did I mention he's a super pervert? *sigh* This story is pretty much how a pauper like me, met the prince. [AU]
1. Once Upon A Freaking Sunday

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**CHAPTER 01: Once Upon A Freaking Sunday**

**:::**

In the land of Pirawyth, there exists a prosperous Kingdom of Zelawien. A huge, majestic castle was built in honor of the first king. It was so long ago that no one even remembered his name. But his legacy carried on to his descendants who are now very much alive & are busy to make the humble people happy.

There's also a large downtown located a few kilometers from the castle where everyone can find anything they need; from clothes, hats, shoes & other dry goods to fruits, vegetables, delicacies & other household necessities.

The people there were very friendly & welcoming. So everybody's living peaceful & quiet lives.

Except for one.

And that outstanding human being is me.

Well, okay, I'm overreacting. I was having a fairly normal life, just like everyone. But that was until I met the prince.

My story goes like this...

It was during the time of witches, dragons & magic-fine, screw that, I'm just kidding! Geez, witches & dragons don't exist in this era.

But, seriously, here goes the real deal:

I woke up in a warm sunlight streaming through my window. I smiled. Funny how can the weather affect your mood. I'm glad we live on the leeward side of the mountain (you know, the side where the climate is much drier than the other) because I hate the rain.

I stretched out my stiff limbs & after some time marveling the nice warmth of the morning, I hopped out of the bed.

'Morning, mom.'

'Good morning, sweetie! Want some cereals?' My mom greeted me cheerfully, her eyes wrinkling & nearly disappearing.

'Yep, thanks!' I took my bowl, grabbed the pitcher of fresh milk *hmm, yummy!* & dug in.

'Where's dad?' I asked between mouthfuls of my icky cereal. I think I soaked it in too much milk but hey, I love the way it melt on my tongue.

'Oh, he went out early to prepare the, uh, things we need when we move, she frowned a little.

I slightly grimaced too. I hate the idea of moving out from our lovely little house that looked like it came out straight from a fairytale book. But it can't be help; my dad's work forced him to. Not that we complained, it's just hard to leave the place you've known your whole life.

I sighed, in a few days' time, we'll be moving in the castle. Yes, we're going to take over & throw the royal family out the window.

Nah, that is so not gonna happen. Not in reality, not in my dream, not ever. I don't involve myself in the royal gossips, alright. I'm not even sure what the King's name is, let alone handle the title of their greatness. Nope, we're not going to attack the castle & kick someone's royal butt.

My father's work made him connected with their "inner" works. Oh no, it's not something like a mafia or anything, it's some sort of office works actually.

So because of that, we were required to move in their premises to have my father a better & faster access to them. But I kind of feel that it's vice versa; they need my dad more than my dad needs them. How troublesome.

'Thanks for the food!' I made a grateful gesture before the table & grabbed my cape.

'I'm going out. I'll be back before dusk, mom!'

* * *

Ah, what a wonderful day; the sky a perfect, forget-me-not blue, birds chirping somewhere above me & the lullaby of a nearby lake reached my ears. An excellent day for flower picking in my favorite meadow. I leisurely walked through the calming forest.

I hummed a cheerful tune that only exist somewhere in my mind. I stretched my arm as I breathed the morning scent of nature.

Finally, I reached a small clearing in the middle of the thick forest. I don't know if someone else besides me know about this little paradise but it seemed to be untouched & no sign of intrusion. Well, except for my occasional footprints & broken branches.

I usually visit this place whenever spring began to pick out some freshly bloomed flowers. But because of our little commotion at home, I came in late. It was almost time for summer now.

As my eyes scanned the area, I stopped dead on my tracks when I spotted a very beautiful flower in the midst of the usual ones I come to pick. It was the first time I saw that kind of flower. The petals were pure white but in the middle of it were impossibly rich purple. Simple yet it stood out like a sore thumb.

'Wow...' I whispered to myself as my feet dragged me to where it was.

I squatted down & touched the smooth surface of the flower.

'I wonder what-OW!'

A huge force from my behind slammed onto me, making me kiss the flower with my whole face.

Something...no, wait. Scratch that one. _Someone_ mercilessly attacked my spine.

'Ow...'

A young man, probably the same age as me, was lying on his butt. The collision sent him flying to his current position. He muttered a curse as he touched his shining blonde head.

'What the-can't you watch where you're going?! You could've killed me!' I yelled angrily at him. I spat out the pollen grains from the flower that decided to explore my mouth.

He looked up to me as I towered over him. I stopped short. When our eyes met, I caught my breath at his extraordinary emerald eyes. Likewise, he stared back as if I'm the weirdest thing on the planet. His hand slipped down so theatrically slow from his head & his jaws were slacked open.

'W-What?' I stammered. And for some unknown, I blushed.

'Ipaasha,' he said in a low voice.

'Huh?' I raised an eyebrow, whatever this guy is talking about.

'That flower is called ipaasha.'

'Oh.'

Now that he stood, I had a better view of his features. He was about a head taller than me, lean but I bet his arms could easily break me into two. His piercing green eyes shone in the bright sunlight. His blonde hair was messy but it suited him perfectly. He wore a traveler's cape & a sword hung in his left side. Overall, his outfit was so cool. I had to admit, he was so handsome, like an archangel or a figure in a painting. But I'm sure; the prince is more gorgeous than he is.

'You like what you see?' He smirked as he caught me gaping like a fish.

Instantly, my face heated up & I turned my back on him,'s-shut up!'

I heard him chuckled.

'Eh?' I gasped as I noticed the pretty flower before me sagged with missing petals. My face did a serious damage on the poor thing.

'Don't worry. Summer is just starting, they will start to bloom more beautiful than that,' the guy said. He bent down beside me & plucked something from my hair.

The gesture made my heart skipped a beat & I slightly moved away from him.

'What? You got leaves on your head,' he smiled & as if to prove his point, he held out the leaves.

'W-who are you?' I stammered.

He blinked several times, giving me a confused look for a second but then he flashed his charming smile. I almost made a face at him. What's with this guy, smiling out of the blue?

'My name is Usui Takumi. What's yours, princess?' He held out his hand, waiting.

I bit my lip for a moment, contemplating the situation. But I decided to be a good girl & took it, 'Ayuzawa Misaki.'

He smiled wider, showing off his brilliant white teeth. 'Nice to meet you, Misaki.'

I nodded, not trusting my voice because his stupid leaking pheromones were affecting me!

We stared at each other again.

Then the bastard snickered & said, 'you're falling in love me, aren't you?'

My mind went to its loading mode & when I processed what he just said, my eyes popped out of its sockets.

What the hell?! My face heated up again.

'As if!' I scoffed & rolled my eyes for his benefit.

'Oh, Misa-chan. You don't have to hide it. Come on, you can tell me,' he urged.

'I'll tell you...get out of my face, idiot!' His pretty face was about a few inches from mine & he still had the guts to lean even closer. So I did the honor of kicking him off me.

He laughed amusedly.

'Hmp!' I turned away from him & put a good distance between us.

Stupid, thick-faced guy!

'Where are you going?'

'Away from you, obviously!'

'Aw, don't be like that. I'm not a bad person. Let's be friends, okay?'

I heard him making his way towards me & I heaved a sigh. I ignored him as I continued what I came here for. I bent over a bunch of pink flowers that smelled so sweet.

'You got a pair of really pretty & flawless thighs there, Misa-chan.'

His comment made me snapped up, blushing furiously, of course. My damn skirt betrayed me! It came high over my legs as I bent over.

I swung around to face his Cheshire grin. I rudely pointed an accusing finger to him.

'Y-y-you...you,' I choked out in anger. A stream of very good insults flowed in my brain but I couldn't choose which one is the best for this bastard.

'Now, now, Misa-chan. That's not fair, you should've confess your undying attraction to me first before trying to seduce me.' Yep, he had the nerve to say those words.

Anger & embarrassment boiled inside me. It went up a notch & shattered my temper meter. I nearly uproot the tree beside me & use it to smash the life out of this annoying creature in front of me.

'YOU STUPID, STUPID PERVERTED ALIEN CREATURE FROM SPACE!' I shrieked. I could hear the rush of blood pulsating in my ears as I breathed hard. God, I need to hit him or I'll die from heart attack!

'Whoa, take it easy,' he held up his hand in surrender but the mischievous smile was still plastered on his face.

I huffed & glared daggers at him.

'I'm sorry, I was kidding. Here, as an apology.' He was holding a brown wrapper that looked like-

'Chocolates?' I raised an eyebrow. Who carries a bar of chocolate in their pockets?

'Yep, girls love sweet things, yes?'

I scowled at him. Maybe he often get slapped by girls wherever he goes because of his perverted mind so he carries a lot of chocolates with him.

'What? You're a girl, right? Don't worry, I didn't poison it.'

I scowled at him but I took the peace offering. Hey, I'm a girl. I cannot resist the temptations of chocolates.

The smell was making my brain melt, I chomped it off & the taste was divine.

I was about to plummet back into my happy mood when the perverted alien opened his perverted mouth to say something perverted.

'But really, you have nice legs which turns me on-'

I let my woven basket fly with deadly projectile straight to his head & I sadistically squealed in joy as I watched him toppled over with a yowl.

'You have a considerable amount of violence in your bloodstreams, eh?' He groaned.

'Yeah & I'm not even warming up. You'll taste more if you open that perverted mouth of yours again,' I threatened.

I then proclaimed 10-meter radius of restriction from where I stood in which he had no rights of trespassing.

'You're being childish, Misa-chan. Don't you want to snuggle up on me?' He pouted & held out his arms as if waiting for me to jump in.

'Hell no!' I threw a pebble at his direction. A vein popped somewhere in my head when he sidestepped & my weapon missed.

All day, he continued to spout things that made my hair stood on the end. Pebbles, stones & fist-size rocks flew in the air every time he tried to invade my territory.

When I had the chance to notice my surroundings, the forest was already turning orange as the sun sets down.

'Whoa. I need to go home,' I muttered. I glanced at my companion; he was propped on a tree, busy twirling a stick. He looked like he was deep in thought that he didn't notice me walking up beside him.

'Hey,' I nudged him with my knee.

He blinked & just like always, he smiled. 'Yeah?'

'I'm going home.' God, why am I even telling him this? I could've just ran away.

'Oh,' his voice was crestfallen. But I'm not sure if I really saw sadness flickered in his eyes for a split second.

'Want me to walk you home?' He recovered & smiled alluringly.

I blushed. 'No, thanks!' I turned my back on him & almost ran towards the path.

'Hey, Misa-chan!'

'What?' I yelled across the meadow.

'You're coming back tomorrow?' His voice was so full of hope that it was hard to say 'no'.

I slowed down until I stopped. I faced him & bit my lip. His face...oh hell, how could you decline his puppy-dog eyes? Those cute little pouty lips &-no, wait! Stop! Just stop.

I let my lungs released all my air.

'I...can't. I have things to do, I'm sorry.' And for once, I really feel sorry about it. I don't know why but I found myself magnetized to this guy. No matter how annoying he was, not to mention how perverted his mind was.

'Is that so? Well then, take care. & it's really nice to meet you, Misa-chan,' he waved at me as he bid me farewell. Argh! I hate the way he made me feel so woozy inside.

'Yeah, nice to meet you too, perverted alien,' I whispered. I waved back & ran all the way home.

I was sure it was the first & last time I will ever see him.

Little did I know, it was only the beginning.

**:::**

**8/6/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Hi, it's me again! Whoa. I missed writing Maid-sama fic.

Hmm, it's my first time writing an alternate universe setting. So, uhm...what do you think about the opening chapter?

As you can see, I just finished it today. I don't have a single word written for chapter 2.

Okay, I'm joking! I have already written about 2 sentences of it, LOL! Anyway, I'll post it right away after I finished it :)

Till then, sarabaja~!

[8/8/12] Did some editing! Sorry about the mistakes, I just copy-pasted it here.

Thanks for reading!


	2. This Day Can't Get Any Worse

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 02: This Day Can't Get Any Worse**  
**:::**

Wednesday came.

I stared my moistened eyes across my room. I can't believe I'm saying my goodbyes to this little haven I've came to know since I breathed the air from this world. I almost cried when I finally closed the door.

Well, almost.

I don't really like crying over little things so I toughened up & head downstairs where my mom & dad were waiting.

'Got everything you need?' My dad put his large hand on my head, smiling so gently. I winced slightly.

'Yeah, let's roll!' I shook my head to shrug his heavy hand off me & forced my face to lighten up for my parents' sake.

I hopped on to the carriage pulled by two white horses. My parents sat on the opposite side from mine & the journey started in a leisure pace. _This will take more than two hours,_I sighed inwardly.

I drew off my parents' quiet conversation as I watched the scenery outside the window.

Since we lived on the outskirts of the town, where forests & nature goodies bound the kingdom, I'm used to mother Earth's greenery with squirrels & bunnies as my playmates.

I will definitely miss the place. I'll miss the clustered trees that served as our backyard fence; the canopies they made when their branches tangled together & the bushes & flowers everywhere.

I will miss running around, feeling the soft soil on my bare feet. Oh, & my favorite part, climbing trees!

I sighed yet again.

I got the feeling that I'll dislike the idea of living in the castle. What with the high walls & suffocating rules. I'm positively sure that climbing trees & running around bare-footed are absolutely forbidden. I'll have difficult time adjusting to their lifestyle.

Not to mention the high & mighty humans there.

I'm not an anti-social or anything but my "people skills" are a bit rusty (that's what you get when you're talking to a squirrel all day).

Wait a minute.

Why am I thinking about coping up with their royal claptraps when I could just be myself & do whatever I want? Hey, they're the one who want us there, yes? _They_ have to adjust _with_us.

Now I really feel like taking over the palace *cue evil laugh here*.

But seriously though, I feel kinda quirky inside just thinking about how my life there would be. At least, a good friend would be nice to have, right? Because I bet squirrels didn't exist there for me to talk to.

Never did I think that there was a certain someone I almost forgotten about, existed within the castle walls.

* * *

We passed the town, which was filled with people & colorful stalls. I had been there for a couple of times already, especially during festivals. A few minutes passed, I perked up as the exaggeratedly huge gate of the castle came to view.

I couldn't help but marvel how beautiful it was. It was about 20 meters tall, painted in black & the intricate designs were standing out.

'Ah, Ayuzawa-san! Welcome, welcome,' a man with a serious weight problem welcomed us when we arrived. He was accompanied by two other men who looked like his stick assistants or something.

'Good morning, Shikai-san.' My dad greeted him politely. 'Oh, this is my wife, Minako & my daughter, Misaki.'

'It's so nice to finally meet you, Minako-san,' he shook my mom's hand & looked at me with warm brown eyes. 'And pretty Misaki-chan.'

'Uhm, nice to meet you too, Shikai-san,' I muttered shyly as I shook his hand.

After that, I glanced a meaningful look at my mom. She smiled & nodded, thank God. It was my time to escape!

I hastily walked away from them as the stout man rumbled on about how convenient it was & blah, blah, blah...

We had our own quarters here a few meters away from the main building so technically, we weren't moving _in_ the castle, just _within_its perimeter. Though I'm sure it was not as cute as our fairytale house back in the woods.

In fairness, the garden was not a disappointment. It was so beautiful & large too. A big fountain was installed in the middle of it. Benches & canopies were set up everywhere. But what caught me in surprise was the flower that I saw in the meadow. They were blooming there in bunches. What did the perverted guy called it? Ipaasha?

Yes, that was it.

I happily skipped towards it & admired it. Ha! I get to touch it with my hands & not with my face this time!

Two seconds passed &-

'Ow!' I yowled when something hit my head, just above my left ear. It hurts like shit! Whoever threw this was coming with a deep hatred on me.

I looked up to find the culprit & yeah, I could say he really does hate me. At that moment, I didn't know whether I was still awake or I somehow fell asleep & currently having a nightmare.

A creature from outer space casted a Cheshire grin upon me. The pervert-I mean the cat-no, the alien was on the tree, doing God-knows-what.

I was too stunned to react. What in the world was he doing here? They shouldn't allow perverted aliens roam the castle!

'Fancy seeing you here, Misa-chan,' he smirked & jumped off to the ground, right in front of me. He leveled his face on my mine & flashed his blinding smile.

'Y-you...h-how-why, I mean-you,' my brain started to shoot out scary questions all at once my tongue got all tangled up.

'Easy there, princess. Take a deep breath &-'

'Oh, shut up.' I shoved him away from me as tried to wipe the redness on my face.

'So, what's up, Misa-chan?'

'What's up your face! What in god's world are you doing here, anyway?' I grumbled.

'I live here.'

I put up my poker face, 'I'm gonna kick your ass.'

'No, really, I live here.'

'Don't freaking lie to me.'

'I'm not-'

He was cut off by the voices coming. We both looked back, seeing my parents & that Shikai guy walking towards us.

All of a sudden, the weirdest thing happened: they all respectfully bowed their heads to the most unrespectable creature beside me.

Grinding machines worked in my head & a sound clicked in my head. My eyes could popped out of my skull as realization dawned on me.

I was totally like: OH, GOD... THIS IS SO _NOT_HAPPENING.

I stood there, still as a doornail. I was so shocked to the point of immobilization. It would not take a genius to figure out the situation.

Oh, no. No, no, & no! I wanted to believe that this was all a big, sick joke. But no! Everyone was bowing down on him like he was some kind of a saint.

'Misaki-chan, you've met his majesty, the 1st prince of Zelawien, Prince Takumi,' Shikai said proudly.

My world came crashing down on me with lightning speed as he confirmed my darkest thought. My heart kicked my ribs with extra horsepower & I wanted to vanish at that exact moment. All I can think about was: we have a perverted prince?

I didn't say a thing to Shikai but I managed to force my lips into a tight smile.

'Good morning to you, Prince Takumi, I'm Minako, Misaki's mother,' my mom said.

'It's nice to meet you, Minako-san. And please, just call me Takumi,' he took my mom's hand & kissed it. I raised an eyebrow; what was this idiot doing?

'My, I didn't know our prince is so charming,' my mom giggled like a fangirl.

He smiled warmly in return, savoring the compliment, I'm sure.

'Prince Takumi.' My dad stepped in.

'That's Takumi for you, Sakuya-san,' he chuckled as he shook my dad's outreached hand. 'It's nice to see you again.'

They talked for about a minute about things I didn't quite understand.

My dad gave me a brief direction as to where the damn house was located. Obviously, I didn't catch it; my mind was still floating higher than the main gate because of what I'd just learned.

Nonetheless, I nodded & the adults left us alone.

A few moments of silence shrouded the garden.

'You didn't tell me you're Sakuya-san's daughter,' he said quietly.

'_You_ didn't tell me _you're _the _prince_!' I shot back once I collected myself, putting a dent to every sensible word I spoke.

I didn't wait for his respond because I did what my itching hands tell me to do the moment I met him: beat the living daylights out of his life.

I didn't care if he was the high & mighty prince of the kingdom, all I knew was I needed to land good punches & kicks to this bastard before I lose my mind.

'Sakuya-san is positively a kind father & Minako-san is obviously a gentle mother. I wonder if you're really their daughter,' he mumbled as nursed his newly-acquired bruises.

'I don't mind adding some broken bones in your body if you don't shut up,' I huffed, watching my new punching bag as he groaned in pain.

'How come everyone knows who I am, except you? Isn't that off-beat? Especially when your family is involved in the castle,' he reasoned out.

'Correction: my father is the one involved, not me. So I don't give a damn to your life because I have my own life.'

He chuckled, 'yeah, you're right.'

I ignored him & sat on the nearest bench. My knees were a bit wobbly, maybe an aftershock on how the events turned.

Our graceful prince followed me like a poodle & sat beside me.

'Will mind sitting somewhere else? I need a breather or I might hit you again,' I massaged my temples.

'Aw...don't be like that, I just want to be friends with you,' he pouted. He made no attempts to move.

'Oh, dear god, I asked for a _good_ friend, not a _crazy_ friend. Not to mention _pervert_,' I dramatically looked up the summer sky.

'Don't worry; I'm still a _friend_, right? Just don't mind the words 'crazy' & 'pervert',' he grinned from ear to ear.

Oh, no. I mentally cursed my luck. Am I really going survive living with this alien around? I highly doubt that.

'It's good, isn't it? You'll be friends with the prince. Many girls will envy you, you know?' he nudged my shoulder playfully.

'Boasting that royal title now, aren't we?' I smirked.

He grinned mischievously, eyes twinkling evilly.

'Fine! Fine! Whatever you say, your highness,' I finally gave in.

A 'YES!' spark glimmered in his eyes. I rolled my eyes.

Silence engulfed us once again.

'I really can't believe you're the prince,' I blurted out. I seemed to have difficulty convincing my brain that this perverted guy was the future of Zelawien.

'Weird, huh?'

'Not weird. Just...unbelievable.'

'Why?'

'Uhm...' I thought for an answering. Yeah, why would I think that that was impossible? Everyone could be a prince. "I" could be a princess for all I care.

'Uhh, I guess you're not a royalty material?' I suggested.

He laughed out loud. 'Why would you think that?' he asked between spasms of laughter.

I shrugged, 'you don't look like one.' I gestured to his figure which was pretty much what it looked like when I met him in the woods, minus the cape.

I would've expected the prince to at least comb his hair but apparently, combing wasn't included in his royal dictionary. His disheveled blonde locks were wild & I don't know how he managed to look so damn handsome with that kind of hairstyle.

'Yeah, I don't look like a prince,' he agreed.

'You look like a pervert. No, you _really_ are a pervert.'

'But you love me,' he said a matter-of-fact. He leaned close to my face & smirked.

I turned a living Washington apple.

'K-keep dreaming, idiot!' It would have been a good comeback if my tongue didn't stutter. I was about to inflict another injury to his dumb head but he caught my wrist. He pulled me & I toppled over him.

'Dreams can come true, you know,' he chuckled softly in my ear.

My stomach churned & my heart thundered. We were so close I could feel his warm breathe. I couldn't say anything; I just stared at him wide eyes.

'I can feel your heart trying get out of your chest,' he whispered.

That snapped me out of my trance. I immediately jumped off him. That was so embarrassing I couldn't look at him.

'T-that's because you suddenly yanked me!' I said, even though I knew it wasn't because of that.

'Lying thick on her tongue. Tsk, tsk...' he shook his head teasingly.

'Shut the hell up, stupid perverted prince of aliens!' I stood, ready to flee.

'Wait,' he grasped my wrist again but this time, no pulling included.

'What?' I growled.

'I'll walk you to your house.'

'No.'

'It's easy to get lost here.'

'I'd rather roam this garden forever,' I muttered stubbornly, twirling my wrist to let it go from his tight grip.

He narrowed his green eyes at me & stared at me sharply. 'You're going to be a good girl & I'll walk you home. End of discussion.'

I scowled & let him pulled me. I was like a sulking child following him through the garden, muttering childish curses.

Firstly, we got to move out of our perfect little lives in my beloved countryside.

Secondly, the guy I met in the woods, whom I insulted & even threw various thing to his head, turned out to be the prince. Oh god, do they punish those who hurt royalties? Positively.

I grimaced at the thought.

Thirdly, I became friends with him. I didn't know if it was a bad thing but I'm sure I don't want fangirls at my throat all the time. In case what he said was true.

And lastly, I hate the house.

Great. Just great.

**:::**

**8/8/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Hai, just as promised.

Please tolerate some mistakes. Thanks for reading :)

Ja, till next time!


	3. The Annoying Prince

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 03: The Most Annoying Prince in the History of Forever**

**:::**

Have you ever met someone who annoyed the shit out of you? Someone who drives you to the edge of insanity & makes you feel like committing a murder?

I did.

And that someone was currently leaning on the doorframe of the balcony in _my_room, a seductive look plastered on his face. He must've come from a royal lineage of monkeys to be able to climb all the way up to the 2nd floor without inflicting injuries to his self.

'What. Do. You. Want?' I spit through gritted teeth. God, thank you for making my teeth covered with thick enamel or I'd probably pulverized it already.

'Good morning to you too, Misa-chan,' Takumi, the annoying prince of Zelawien greeted me calmly, his ever-present smile on his lips.

'Good morning? Good morning?!' I grasped a handful of his collar & pulled him to my face. 'Your highness, do you honestly know what time you decided to attack my door? It's freaking 3 in the morning!' I yelled-whispered to his face.

I was too occupied being angry that I didn't realize how close I had pulled him. Until he affectionately nuzzled his nose on mine.

My heart skipped a beat & an audible gasp (or maybe that was a squeak?) escaped my lips. I obviously blush a lifetime's worth of blush.

'Dammit! What do you think you're doing, stupid perverted alien?!'

'Doing something perverted,' he simply answered like it was no big deal. Oh...that hit a nerve somewhere in my brain.

I pushed him away with all the strength I had but he didn't budge. He still stood pretty darn close.

I can't believe it; barging in my door, greeting me a f*cking 'good morning' when even the sun was sleeping, & playing nose-to-nose with me. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with this guy?!

I growled as I sent him my demonic glare.

'You smell like strawberry, Misa-chan,' he commented on a totally different topic. His eyes glittering with delight.

'Oh, what a surprise! I used mango-flavored shampoo last night, you know,' I let my voice dripped with sarcasm & rolled my eyes.

He chuckled & ruffled my hair, 'good one!'

'Stop it! What do you want? Why are you here in this ungodly hour of the night?' I swatted his hand off my head.

'What I want?' He stopped short & looked at me, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Whoa. That sent a chill down my spine. I gingerly backed away.

'All I really want is to...' he moved so dangerously graceful towards me.

'S-stop!' I warned weakly. Something hit the back of knees. Oh no, dead end.

He stared closely at me almost menacingly. While I looked like a deer caught on headlights. [Wait a minute, how did I know about that? There were no cars in medieval era for heaven's sake!]

'I really want to...'

Oh, crap! I should scream now. But my voice was caught in my throat. He leaned closer, trapping me in his arms. He breathed on my ear & I couldn't move a muscle.

'...to watch the ipaasha bloom with you,' he whispered.

A moment of loading mode & my eyes shot open wider than possible.

'WHAT THE-!' he held my outburst with a finger on my lips.

'You wouldn't want to wake the whole town with your screams, would you?' He chuckled.

'You pervert! Stop teasing me like that!' I hissed, pushing him off me.

'A little disappointed? Prefer it to be real, huh? You're so sly, Ayuzawa,' he smirked & still had the guts to tucked a stray locks of my raven hair behind my ear.

'With all that perverted stuff of yours, it's like you're _begging_ me to hate you!'

'You already do, I presume,' he raised an eyebrow.

'Argh! You're so infuriating!' I almost pulled my hair out but that would be ridiculous. Instead, I took a much-needed air & tried to steady my self.

'You said you want to watch the darn flowers bloom, right? Then what are you doing in _my_ room? As far as I'm aware, I don't see any ipaasha here,' I crossed my arm on my chest & glared at him.

'Well, I could put a whole ipaasha colony here, if you want.'

I snarled.

He held up his hands, 'okay! Okay! I'm just kidding. Yes, I said I want to watch the flowers bloom... _with_you,' he emphasized.

_The hell I care about that stupid flower. I wanted to sleep!_I thought whining, forgetting the fact that I actually love ipaasha.

I wanted to kick him out of my room & slumbered back to my dreamland but I got the feeling he will keep on pestering me until I agree.

'You promise to leave me alone if I come with you?'

He smiled triumphantly & held up his right hand, 'I swear.'

With a defeated sigh, I nodded.

'Great! So, let's go,' Takumi grinned & took my hand. I was surprised but didn't pull away. His hand was warm & soft...

'Uhm, no one's going to kill us if we use the front door, you know,' I said when he looked out my balcony, contemplating on how he would climb down.

'Nah, it's okay.' That & with a blink of an eye, he jumped over the balcony like a professional stuntman.

I stifled a loud 'HEY!' as I watched him go down smoothly, clinging on some jutted stones from the wall before landing on his feet lightly.

I gaped at him in amazement. His ancestors must have been from a successful genetic combination of cats & monkeys.

'Come on, Misa-chan! It's pretty easy, just jump off & I'll catch you. Don't worry,' he called in a hush whisper.

'Like that's gonna happen! No thanks, I'll use the front door,' I waved at him & hurriedly put my slippers on.

Not that I couldn't pull a cool stunt like him. Heck! I could do a lot better than him, what with all the tree-climbing & branch-swinging experience I had since I was 3 years old. I was still groggy from sleep, that's all. And I want to save myself from a few broken bones in case I missed a spot.

Careful not to make a sound, I tiptoed across the hallway towards the stair & ran all the way to the door.

'Hey, stupid!' I whispered as I turned the corner to the side of our house. I caught him staring up to my balcony.

'I thought you went back to bed,' he chuckled.

'Oh, why didn't I think about that?'

'Because you love me,' he grinned as he took my hand again.

I scoffed. 'You just said that I hate you,' I reminded him. 'And I really _do_ hate you.'

'Good, because hate is passion.'

'That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.'

* * *

I kept on muttering profane curses as he pulled me around the garden. Why couldn't he just watch the damn flowers by himself? Why did it have to be with me? Was this his way of slowly torturing me to death?

We continued walking, with my hand still in his grasp. Tall lamp posts glowed with faint lights but nevertheless, it helped me see my surroundings.

Everything was still, like statues. Not even a single rustle from the trees or bushes. Ah, typical summer.

Though it grew everywhere in the garden, there's this certain area where the gardeners decided to make an ocean of ipaasha. We were standing in the middle of it when Takumi stopped.

We sat on a stone bench & stared at sleeping flowers.

'I've always wanted to do this,' he said quietly.

'Ah...' I hid my yawn in a nod.

'There's a legend about this flower, are you aware of that?'

I shook my head. I only know the legend of a clever monkey & the cute, little turtle.

'Okay, I'll tell you then. They said that if you watch an ipaasha bloom with someone unrelated to you & of the opposite sex,' he glanced at me to make sure I was listening.

I nodded nonchalantly.

'You will be bind to that someone. Forever.'

'Well, that's interesting... hold it!' A jolt of electricity course through my veins at the sudden realization dawned on me. 'You mean to say they're going to be together _forever_?'

He nodded seriously.

'And of all people... YOU CHOOSE ME, YOU JERK!' I exploded.

His serious mask crumbled & he laughed maniacally as I fumed. The idea of being bind _together_with this insufferable piece of junk was just too much. Legend or no legend.

'Relax. It's just myth,' he said laughing his head off. He held me firmly on my shoulder & forcing me to sit back beside him.

'Who knows? Maybe you're some sort of wizard & use your evil magic to make it come true. I don't want to get stuck with you for the rest of my life!'

'You're acting like a child again, Misa-chan.'

'I don't care. Now if you'll excuse me, your oh-so-majesty, I'm going back to sleep!' I stood to leave but he quickly yanked me by the hand.

'Oh, come on! Don't leave. I just want to show you how beautiful these flowers bloom,' he gave me his best puppy-dog eyes.

'Stop doing that!' I groaned.

'Doing what?' he asked innocently, pouting those kissable lips-

'THAT!' I slapped him upside the head.

'Ow...' but his grip didn't loosen.

'Let me go, stupid, perverted alien!' I twisted & thrashed to no avail. I wish I had a crowbar or something very heavy to hit this annoying creature's head.

'Stay with me.'

'No.' I stubbornly pouted.

'Please...' his persuasive voice sounded like a lullaby.

I groaned again & shut my eyes close. Oh dear god, what have I done wrong?

'FINE!' I plopped down beside him. There you go, I've done it again. I mentally kicked myself for falling helpless to his sweet voice.

I exhaled & I bet no painter could paint my face right now.

Idiot Takumi had a satisfied grin. _He is an alien_, I thought. _A freaking, hypnotic alien._

Few minutes had passed but it felt like eternity to me. I was tired & really sleepy. But I still haven't seen a single flower bloom.

'Hey, my eyes are begging me to close them. How much time do we have to wait to see these amazing flowers of yours?' I nudged the alien beside me.

'Just a few more minutes,' he smiled brightly.

'Tell me your definition of 'just a few more',' I sarcastically said.

'Finally!'

He perked up & instantly he seemed glowing. I mean, he looked like he was ready to drop too like me. But suddenly, all his weariness disappeared. His eyes lit up as he watched the first bud of flower slowly opened a few feet away from us.

'Come on, Misaki,' he enthusiastically took my hand again & dragged me towards the blooming ipashaa. We squatted down, anticipating the outcome of the unfolding petals.

'It's so pretty...' I was mesmerized as the little bud widened & slowly revealing pure white petals with deep purple center.

Then all around us, the flowers started to wake up almost simultaneously. The aroma it gave off was intoxicating.

I had to admit, it was like magic. My drowsiness slipped away & I watched open-mouthed.

'It's so...amazing!'

'Told yah,' he grinned & I smiled back.

Takumi showed me some variety of colors & shapes of the flower. It surprised me he knew all about it as if he was the one who created them.

It was probably around 5 in the morning when the sun peaked from the horizon. I dragged my body back to the stone bench to rest after we played 'botanists' with the expense of the poor flowers.

'That was so cool,' he said.

'Yeah,' I couldn't agree more. Sure it was tiring; waking up 3 in the morning & waiting for the flowers to bloom. But all it was all worth it. I felt as if I'd accomplish something so fulfilling.

'Misa-chan...'

'W-what?' He snapped me out of my lala land & I didn't know I was staring at him for the whole time! My face burned with blush.

'You've been staring at me for like, 3 minutes now,' he said coolly.

'N-no, I'm not! Why would I stare at you? Dream when you're sleeping, idiot!' Of course, I denied.

'So sly,' he smirked.

I didn't let it pass without slapping his arm.

'Well, that was great. Let's go?' He stood & held out his hand to me. Do I always have to take his hand? I know I can perfectly walk by myself but remembering his soft, warm hand...I felt fuzzy inside & I just wanted to hold on to him.

Okay, that was weird. Where did that come from? I shook my head slightly & took his hand. Really, how troublesome.

He walked me back to our house. It was dark inside, no signs of movement. Good. That means my parents were still sleeping. I didn't want to get caught in the middle of sneaking back to my room & explain my unplanned flower viewing with the prince.

'Uh... I guess you should go too,' I turned to Takumi.

'Yeah,' he simply answered but didn't make any move to leave. Instead, he stepped closer & brushed my disheveled bangs.

'Sorry for waking you up so early,' he said sincerely, still brushing my hair & mercilessly making my stomach flip. I couldn't move away because... because it felt so damn soothing. A yawned escaped my mouth.

'Actually, its fine-'

I was abruptly cut off when he leaned closer & did something so unexpected: he kissed me on my forehead.

The sudden warm sensation petrified me. Shock. Too much shock! My mind went blank with beeping tones.

My stomach was now doing somersaults & I think my heart was going to stop any second now.

'Thank you,' he whispered as he pulled away, smiling so gently. Then he left me hanging there as if nothing happened. I didn't know I was holding my breath until my lungs were screaming at me.

The nerve of that guy! Who said he can kiss me whatever he wants? I know he was the prince but that didn't give him any rights to do so.

I hate him. I hate the way he could make me go into a roller coaster ride of emotions without much effort. One minute, he stood there, annoying the life out of me. A minute later, there he was, kissing me as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

God, I hate him!

.

.

Or do I really?

**:::**

**8/12/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Hey everyone! What's up?

Yep, another chapter update... fresh from my iPod, hehe!

Right, before I forgot, I'd like to tell you about 'Ipaasha'. Actually, it's the title of a manga by my favorite mangaka, Ichinose Kaoru. It's a one-shot story about a couple & a poisonous flower. Please check it out on mangafox for more details :D

For all the readers, thank you so much! It really makes me happy to know you like it.

A.R.I.G.A.T.O.U m(_ _)m

Hai, I guess that would be all. Let's work hard on the next chapter!

Sarabaja~!


	4. Meet the King & Queen

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::****  
****Chapter 04: ****Meet the King & Queen of the Rich Kingdom of Capital 'C'****  
****:::**

'Do you really think it's alright?' I fidgeted nervously as I peeked through the huge [& when I say huge, I mean _really_huge] door of the palace.

'Of course, it's alright!' Takumi answered incredulously while tugging my hand.

'But-'

'No one's going to bite you.'

'Yeah, coz they're going to _kick_me out!'

'Who would kick you out?' He raised an eyebrow at me.

I fumbled with my thoughts. 'Uhm, the guards?' I suggested lamely.

He laughed out loud, 'why would the guards kick you out if you're with the prince?' He winked at me & without much ado, he yanked me inside his home.

For solid sixteen years of my life in this world, it never crossed my mind that I could enter this castle; much less get tour-guided by the prince. Boy, I must be dreaming.

The sound of the groaning door was unnerving. Red carpeted floor & velvet curtains greeted me as Takumi dragged my frozen form inside.

'Wow...' I scanned my eyes in the wide room. The clear glass windows rose as tall as a 3-storey house, bright sunlight washed through it almost blindingly. But it felt good. It made the room glow with light; full of life & happiness.

Simple yet elegant furniture scattered neatly. The dull, gray stone walls were decorated with large paintings. We didn't spend much time there because Takumi pulled me to the grandest staircase I've ever seen in my life.

'Let's go up, my parents are in the study,' he said beaming. He seemed more enthusiastic than usual, I noticed.

'Wait...you mean, the king & queen?' _Well, duh? _I inwardly rolled my eyes to my clever question.

'Yep!'

We went to the second floor. The hallway was stretched a mile long before me. Thick doors lined along it in between of colorful paintings. I wonder why they had hundreds of rooms when there are only 3 people living there.

The windows made way for the sunlight, just like in the first floor.

'This is the library,' he said.

I looked at him with eyebrows high in the air. 'Are you kidding me? This place could hold the whole town & you just stock your books here?'

He laughed, 'well, not just books but important documents & stuffs like that. This is also where the war rooms are located.'

I nodded nonchalantly. 'So...do you like reading books?' I asked as I kept up with his strides.

'Hmm, maybe. You?'

'Maybe,' I shrugged. He scowled slightly.

'Uhm, why did you bring me here today?' I asked again. I hoped it annoys him but to my own irritation, it didn't seem to affect him at all.

He slowed his pace & smiled at me, 'my parents wants to meet you.'

My heart dropped to my stomach. I stopped dead at my tracks.

Eh? Why would their majesty wanted to meet me? Oh no, did they find out that I beat their son multiple times? Are they going to spank me? Throw me in prison? I gulped.

'Relax. They won't eat you,' he laughed again when I didn't respond.

'B-but why did they want me-'

'I told them about you, that is.' He said. Then his eyes widened a bit & looked like he was biting his tongue. For a split second, I thought I saw a faint pink blush across his cheeks before quickly turning his back on me.

'WHAT?!' My voice jumped an octave higher. Why would he do that? This guy is _unbelievable_! I'd probably wring the life out of his neck but unfortunately for me, I couldn't. I was inside his absolute domain, remember?

'Let's just keep going,' he mumbled & continued walking.

'Hey, I'm not yet done with you! What did you tell them?' I jogged behind him to keep up on his pace.

'Nothing, really.' He waved a dismissive hand.

'Nothing,' I snorted. 'But now they want to see me. You didn't tell anything funny about me, did you?' I glared at him suspiciously.

'Look,' he said exasperatedly. I nearly bumped on his chest when he stopped & faced me. 'It'll be just a simple 'hi-hello' from them, okay? It's no big deal. Besides, you're my friend.'

Oh.

I don't know why, but something stung my heart.

Now that was weird.

We continued our death march towards the great unknown until he finally stopped in front of a door.

My heart started to perform somersaults. He held my cold hand & smiled assuring.

'Don't be nervous,' he chuckled. 'I swear I'll save you if they tried anything funny.'

'That heroic remark didn't make me any calmer, your highness.'

He laughed, 'you'll be alright.' He sighed & gave a final squeeze to my hand before knocking on the door.

Any minute now, the door will burst open. Argh! I couldn't bring my heart to calm down, _especially_ when this alien prince beside me stood so calmly & _refused_to let go of my hand despite of my struggles.

A muffled voice came from behind the door & Takumi opened the door to reveal a brightly lit room.

He pulled me in gently & I stared in awe at my surrounding.

Ceiling-to-floor bookshelves covered most of the wall & a chandelier hung delicately in the middle of the ceiling. Velvet curtains were held tightly to allow the windows to shine through. Paintings & ornaments scattered about. I bet those cost more than thrice my life.

A polished mahogany desk at the center was occupied by a man who had an almost-messy black hair & onyx eyes. He seemed to be in deep thought while staring at a piece of paper in his hand.

He sat with posture & elegance; the word 'power' radiated from him.

_The king,_my mind said. Unconsciously, I gripped tightly to the prince's hand.

'Ah! Takumi,' a bell chime-like voice made us both turn our heads to its source.

I blinked my eyes several times to make sure I wasn't seeing illusions. When I confirmed that it was real. That _she_was real, my jaw dropped.

Okay, I'm officially lesbian. Congratulations to me, I finally realized my true being.

The woman before me was beyond beautiful. No words could describe her exquisite features. I really had to fight the urge to rub my eyes to make sure she wasn't a mirage.

She had a pair of expressive, emerald eyes that gleamed like jewels. Her hair was a cascading blonde falls against her elegantly-poised spine. She had rosy cheeks, tiny red lips & perfect nose. I could compare her to a living doll or perhaps, an immortal goddess?

Yes, she was indeed beyond anything gorgeous I'd ever seen in my life. An exact female version of the prince.

I sighed; I fell in love at first sight.

Whoa. Wait a minute. Does that mean 'I fell in love with the _prince_ at _first_sight'? That didn't sound quite right.

Me? Falling in love with a stupid, perverted outer-space alien? Screw that fact that he was the prince. No, that's just seemed so impossible. I _might_ choose to fall in a deep chasm than to fall in love with _him_.

Well, _might._

I shook my head slightly to clear up my mind.

The woman, whom I assumed as the queen & Takumi's mother, approached us in a graceful manner. I nearly tear my eyes when she smiled warmly at me. She looked so cunningly like Takumi!

'Mother,' he greeted.

'Good morning, sweetie.' She reached up to kiss her son on his cheek. I suppressed a giggled when our prince turned pink.

'You must be Misa-chan,' she said in her bell chime voice as she turned to me & gave me a nerve-whacking hug.

I was so stunned I didn't know what to do. She hugged me tightly like I was her long-lost daughter. And I could really feel the motherly love overflowing from her.

'Uhh, g-good morning, your highness,' I bowed my head as soon as she let go of me.

'What a lovely child you are,' she said, tugging me gently from my bowing position. 'And please, call me Patricia. No need to be formal,' she thought for a while before adding: 'or maybe you can call me 'mother' since you're my son's girlfriend,' she giggled.

My face flamed. The prince guffawed.

'N-no, your high-I mean, P-Patricia-sama, I-I am not-'

'She's my girlfriend, alright,' Takumi said. That moment, I was ready to knock him out cold for good. I don't care if I had to do that barbaric act in front of his parents.

'What are you-' I protested while trying to yank my hand off his.

'A friend that happens to be a girl,' he amended, laughing silently.

There was it again. A stung in my heart. What the hell's wrong with me? I didn't want to be called his _girlfriend_ yet something poked me painfully when he said I was "a _friend_that happens to be a girl".

Stupid Takumi.

'You two look so cute together,' the queen said between giggles. I swear I wanted to glomp her at that very moment!

I fought another blush when Takumi beamed & said, 'thanks, mom.'

I didn't hear any hint of sarcasm in his voice. It was like he was grateful that her mom [sort of] approved of me.

'Dear,' she called out softly to the man behind the desk.

He looked up instantly & flashed a charming smile. Well, I don't blame him; when a goddess called you, you would automatically smile.

'Good morning, father.' Takumi stepped forward, tugging me along.

'Ah, my son,' he stood up & approached our group. He walked with overwhelming confidence. I had to admit, I was a bit intimidated.

I tried pinching Takumi's hand to let go but he simply ignored me. God, what should I do? He was clinging on to me like a blood-sucking leech!

What would the king think about a girl like me holding hands with his son? He might think I was hitting on with this jerk.

Now I was trying desperately to hide behind Takumi.

'What brings-oh, who is this pretty young lady?' He wrinkled his eyes at me in a blinding smile when he spotted me.

'G-good morning, your highness,' I greeted shyly.

'She's Takumi's girlfriend!' The queen exclaimed so excitedly she was almost jumping on the balls of her feet.

What the-didn't she hear what Takumi said earlier? I was just a friend. A friend!

My eyes popped out of its sockets as I stared helplessly at the prince. He seemed so oblivious to the situation & I wanted to kick him.

'Oh! Really?' The king said, equally excited. His deep onyx eyes, which glinted brightly behind the spectacles, darted to our intertwined hands. A mischievous smile appeared on his face. Darn it, he looked just like Takumi.

'This is Ayuzawa Misaki, dad. Sakuya-san's daughter,' he introduced me. He either chose to be deaf or he totally didn't mind me being mistaken as his girlfriend.

How stressful.

'Ah, yes, yes. What a beautiful lady. I'm Usui Yuu, thank you for taking care of my son.' He took my free hand & kissed it. I noticed the way he introduced his own; he didn't use his royal title.

'Uhm, i-it's an honor to meet the king, your maj-'

'Just call me father, Misa-chan!'

I choked. His transformation was the most amazing in the world: from the image of a powerful king to a man prancing around like an idiot whose high on sugar.

'How old are you, my princess?' He asked.

'I-I'm 16 years old, your high-'

'NO!'

I flinched at his outburst. My heart sank to my stomach. Hey! What did I do?

He dramatically held out his hand like he was stopping traffic & his face was all scrunched up in a theatrical frown.

'Uhm-'

'Call me 'father' or 'dad' or 'daddy'. Sakuya-san is practically family to us & so are you. But that will be more official after marriage. Right, honey?' He gave a nudged to his wife who nodded vigorously.

Loading...

Loading...

And it finally registered.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!

I felt like I was hit head-on by a wild stampede of elephants. My brain suffered from an imaginary severe hemorrhage & I think I was a tank short of oxygen.

Dear lord, am I going to survive this?

The alien beside me shuddered in a hidden laughter. This bastard... my eyes were beginning to see red.

Then, as if mentioning the word "marriage" wasn't bad enough, the damn stupid king still had the nerve to ask, 'so Takumi, when is the wedding?'

Wedding? Are you nuts?! No way am I going to marry this perverted alien. No. Just no way in hell!

'Ah! Your maj-I mean, I'm not his girl-I'm not going to marry-'

'Drop it, dad. You're scaring her, 'Takumi cut in, chuckling lightly.

The king pouted childishly, 'eh? Why? 16 is such a wonderful time to be in love & married! Did you know that I was 16 when I met your mom & we were so in love, right, honey?' He nudged his wife again for approval.

'Yes, we were. Ah...how nostalgic, I can see our old selves in them, my king,' the queen said dreamily.

'Yes, indeed. Remember the time when we blah, blah, blah...'

And the two most respected couple in the kingdom rambled on about super cheesy olden times.

Good thing, before things get out of hand, Takumi decided to butt in.

'Sorry to interrupt, your highness. But I believe it's time for us to leave.'

The king blinked several times, like he was coming out of trance. Then he cleared his throat, 'oh. Forgive me, I was carried away.'

'Its fine, dad. I'm just going to give our guest here a tour of the castle,' he said politely.

Yessssss! I can sense my freedom now. Oh, joy! I secretly glared at Takumi, _wait till we're out you little piece of crap... I'm going to crush you with my bear hands._

'Thank you for such warm welcome, your majesties,' I respectfully bow to them.

'My, it is our most pleasure, Misa-chan,' the queen said & before I could react, she stepped up to engulf me again in a tender hug.

'You are welcome here anytime you want, my daughter. This castle is your home too,' the king said sincerely.

Wow. VIP pass. Cool.

Despite that, I got goose bumps all over. He probably meant 'daughter' as in 'daughter-in-law'. That is _so_not gonna happen. Not in a million years.

Like a true gentle prince, Takumi held the door for me.

'Goodbye, your majesties.'

'Goodbye, Misa-chan,' they said together so cutely, waving their hands at me.

'See you again...in the wedding,' the king added teasingly. Or not?

They probably had my red face imprinted in their brains.

'Well, that wasn't so bad,' Takumi commented when he safely shut the door.

'Are you kidding me? That was the most terrible event in my life,' I mumbled weakly. I sighed; I felt like I just woke up from a nightmare.

'It could've been worse,' he smirked.

'Whatever happened to "simple hi-hello from them"?' I quoted him sarcastically.

'Gone with wind,' he philosophically answered.

'Mark this day, Usui Takumi. I swear I'm going to get back on you.'

'Can't way for that day to come,' he smirked & took my hand for the nth time now as he led me back to the maze that was his home.

**:::**

**8/20/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Hiya, minna-san! Its me again, natsu_no_sora

Another chapter update! I hope you like it & I'm sorry for some mistakes [iPod messes up with its auto-correction & I don't have the time in the world to edit this]. Thank you for reading, reviewing, following & adding to favorites! You guys make my kokoro go dokidoki, LOL

Ah, before I go...can someone guess the letter "C" in the chapter title? hehe!

sarabaja~!

09/30/12

**PS: **Yuu Hirose is the real name of Usui's father. I only changed the first name coz it might be confusing if I still use his surname.


	5. The Room of Eternal Damnation

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::****  
****Chapter 05: The Room of Eternal Damnation****  
****:::**

'Ne, Misa-chan,' Takumi wiped something off my face. Of course, a good reaction from me was a pretty embarrassing blush.

'Pervert,' I muttered, flinching away from him.

'Do you like ghost stories?'

A very casual question caught me off guard as it actually sent a chill down my spine.

'Uh...' how do I answer him? Should I say 'yes'? But that might start him to tell some ghost stories about this castle. Should I say 'no'? That would probably make him think like I'm a scaredy-cat & tease me for the rest of my miserable life.

'You know...' he started, not bothering to know if I really like hearing that stupid piece of crap stories.

Oh god, I do not like the way he quietly talks. I glared at him suspiciously.

'...we have a wine cellar down the kitchen hall. Some of the wines were from the last century & they're really cool. Wanna see them?'

'Huh?'

Ah, this guy made my head swirl every time he started a conversation then out of the blue, he would sharply turn to a completely unrelated topic.

But thanks to that, I was safely maneuvered out of that talk about ghosts. I felt a huge wave of relief flushed through me.

'Wine cellar?' I asked curiously. Back in our old house, my dad kept a small basement just for storing wines. He loved collecting them, especially the rare ones.

'Yeah, wanna see them?' Takumi's emerald eyes sparkled with delight.

'Uh, sure...'

We went to the narrow hallway near the kitchen & walked the long, narrow path that leads to a basement.

'Watch your steps,' he warned as he guided me, clutching my hand securely.

'That's the problem, I can't _watch_anything! Its pitch black down here,' I grumbled, squeezing the feeling out of his hand.

It was getting colder & I couldn't even see my own hand that I sprawled in front of me. I wonder how this guy managed to find the way. Oh well, maybe he had some infrared eyes. He was an alien after all.

He started talking in his low, lullaby voice. 'Legend says-'

'You like legends very much, don't you?' I snickered.

I didn't know what kind of face he had but he paused & huffed.

'Sorry. Go on. So... what does the legend say?'

'It's not a legend actually; it's a rumor around here. Everybody living inside this castle knows about it,' he continued while pulling me slowly & I groped my way down blindly.

'Uh huh...-OW!' I squeaked as my nose flattened down on something that blocked my way.

'What the hell-Takumi! You squished my nose!' I slapped his arm, or at least that's what it felt like in the dark.

'Ah, sorry. We're here,' he announced.

Then the whole place lightened up. I had to squint my eyes to adjust in sudden brightness. We were standing under the frame of a battered wooden door.

The basement smelled like freshly unearthed soil mixed with a strong sweet scent from the hundreds of bottles of wines. It was damp & cold. The small bulbs showered us with yellowing dim light.

'Wow...' I was taken by how ancient it looked. Vintage cabinets were neatly arranged in long rows. A small area of couches & coffee tables were located in the far end.

Our footsteps scraped the rough cement flooring as he brought me around, pointing to some bottles & what not.

After that, we slouched on the dusty sofa in a comfortable silent. I never given much thought on why my dad loved wines but I understood now. It was really quite enjoyable.

'Achoo!' My sneeze echoed dramatically through the room & Takumi stifled his laughter.

'Sorry, Mai-chan never comes down here so nobody cleans this basement.'

'Mai-chan?' I asked curiously, dusting off my chair with a cloth I found lying on the table.

'She's the head of our cleaning committee.'

'Why not?'

'Because...' his voice went quiet & something in his tone made a train of goose bumps down my spine.

'What?' I whispered back, all my attention on him.

'Well, because of a rumor running around here for almost a hundred years,' he stared intently at me.

'A hundred year-old rumor?' I held his eyes on mine. A very big word of "Serious" was hanging above our heads as he continued.

'They say that...an apparition of a woman appears here.'

He said it so simple & easy even a mouse could understand it. But my brain interpreted it into something so much worse, like the end of the world is coming within 2 seconds.

I let out a nervous laugh, 'y-you don't mean it, do you?'

He shrugged.

I was silent. At that moment, my sensory preceptors went berserk. The slightest sound made me jump, imaginary movements caught my eye; in short, I was paranoid.

'When I was young, Takeru-san, the head chef, used to tell me stories about this basement. According to him, a long time ago...even before my grandparents were born, there was this pretty woman who worked here as a maid,' he said.

I gulped. My hands & the blood within my veins turned ice cold. I never wanted to do anything in my entire life but to dash out of this damned room & bury myself under a nice comforter in our own house.

'They said she was raped & killed by an obsessed guard who fell madly in love with her. Right in this very room.'

A chill tickled me as I listened to his cold, low voice.

'T-that's h-h-horrible,' I stuttered. My knuckles were now white as I gripped my skirt tightly. _Please, oh god... I'll do anything, just let me out of here now,_I begged silently.

'Are you afraid?' Takumi asked. I could tell he enjoyed watching me trembled.

'O-of course not! Why w-would I?' I huffed indignantly. There's no way I'll freak in front of him. That would be the equivalent of torturing me to a slow, painful, not to mention humiliating, death.

'Then why are you trembling your head off?'

'I am not!'

'Oh yes, you do.'

'Am not!'

'You're scared of ghost, aren't you?' A slow smirk was forming invite lips.

'N-no! It's because it's c-cold here!' I defended. It was really cold, like the temperature suddenly plummeted to near freezing point.

'Maybe the ghost will appear,' he said in a hush voice.

'S-stop kidding around, Takumi! It's not funny!' I was ready bummed out his lights off but that would leave me all alone _and_conscious.

'No, Mai-chan said when she saw this lady, the temperature dropped. Scratches & whimpering noises could be hea-'

Like obeying his words, a scratching sound came from behind the couch I was sitting on. That ticked my nerves off. I did what my senses told me; I ungracefully jumped as if someone hit me with a stun gun & went diving straight to the other human (or as human as he can be) in the room.

There was a moment of silence as I sat on his lap & clung to him like he was my lifeline. I squeezed my eyes shut & choked him with my death grip. I wouldn't want to imagine what intimate position we're currently engaged in.

'So sly,' he whispered.

I gasped & pulled away to look at him with wide, shock eyes. Now it dawned on me what silly little movements I did. But I just couldn't understand myself why I still sat on his lap comfortably.

It scared the hell out of me & I was on the verge of crying. I resolved on slapping & punching him as I held back my tears.

'I hate you, I hate you! Stupid, perverted outer space alien! You miserable piece of crap! I hate you!' I continued bashing him mercilessly & throwing curses.

He caught my wrists, 'hey!'

'Let go of me, pervert!'

'Me? Pervert? Says the one who jumped on me,' he smirked.

'I am seriously about to reduce your existence to dusts!' I warned. I hopped off from his lap & forcefully yanked my wrists. I angrily stomped my way to the door, I wanted to get out of the room so badly.

'You want to break your neck running around in the dark hallway?' he called out casually.

I stopped dead in my tracks. I turned to him with hell burning in my eyes.

'I'd rather run around blindly than staying in the same room with you!'

'What if the lady ghost appear there?'

My heart turned stone & I wanted to stomped my foot & burst into tears. Why? Why? Why?! Why in all saints' name am I stuck in this godforsaken room with this alien?!

'Hey,' Takumi stared at me with mixture of concern & amusement. He walked towards me, arms ready to engulf me.

'S-stay away from m-me,' I glared at him. But then I noticed how blurry my sight was. Warm liquid streamed down my cheek & I realized I was crying.

Crying pathetically in front of the prince. But hey, as much as I hate it, I couldn't stop myself. I dare you to stood there & smile confidently while your scare meter was on its spilling level.

Without any word... or warning, for that matter, he stepped forward & I was secured in his arms.

I submitted & sobbed helplessly on his chest while mumbling something like 'stupid idiot' & 'wanna get out of here'.

He gently caressed my hair & it felt so damn soothing. I almost forgot that I was angry.

'You're...really scared, huh?' He said quietly.

A blush crept up on my face & I punched him square on the chest.

'Fine! I'm scared, okay? I'm a scaredy-cat! Go on, laugh all you want!' I sobbed even harder & rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. Picture the situation; I looked absolutely like an idiot. Damn it.

He didn't laugh. He gave me a small smile instead & hugged me again. I didn't what kind of evil possessed me but I didn't protest. I could even swear that a huge wave of relief flushed through me.

'It's alright to be scared,' he murmured as he tightened my grip on me.

'C-can we leave now?' I asked childishly.

'Okay,' he sighed & opened the door.

I should've have say, _tried_ to open the door. Because as he pushed open it, a loud _click_reached our ears. An audible 'Uh oh' from him, I knew we were doomed.

He tried again. And again. Then he turned to me with the most wonderful news I've ever heard in my life: 'We're locked in.'

I blinked. And roared, 'WHAT?!'

'The door is locked from the outside,' he said calmly.

'What?! How're we supposed to get out of here?!' A surge of panic poured from my head to toe.

'Guess we have to wait until someone noticed us gone,' he suggested.

'Are you crazy?! Humans hardly come here. It'll take a genius to realize we went down here!' Tears escaped my eyes.

'I'm sorry...' he held me closer to him again.

'Can't y-you smashed that stupid door o-open?'

He chuckled, 'no. That would be the same as smashing my own knuckles, you know?'

I cried harder. 'I want to go out...now!' I insisted with my puffy, red eyes.

'Yes, I know. But we'll have to wait, okay?' He almost cooed at me like I was a baby. He pulled me back to the sitting area & guess what he did.

He cuddled me like I was a giant, super fluffy Teddy bear. The evil spirit that possessed me held me back from protesting.

It was actually very comforting & it calmed my jumpy nerves.

We stayed together like a true romantic couple. Ew. Yuck.

'You know...' I started slowly.

'Hm?'

'I will kill you once we get out of this damned basement,' I threatened as I snuggled closer to him. He smelled divine, darn it! God, what had gotten to me? First, I freaked out & jumped on him. Second, I let him hug me. Third, I was cuddling with him. What's next? Level up on kissing him? That's a big no-no.

'Or maybe you can commit suicide in front of my eyes,' I added.

He shuddered as he laughed softly. His hand slipped down dangerously low on my waist, whether it was an unconscious gesture or one of his perverted tactics, I jolted out of the trance-like feeling & moved as far away from him as the couch would allow.

'W-what the hell-what do you think you're doing, pervert?!' I gasped breathlessly, rubbing the spot where his hand left an electric spark.

'What?' He looked at me with his oh-so-innocent eyes but with perverted smirk on his lips.

'You're so gross!' I chucked a dusty throw pillow on his face.

'I'm not doing any-'

We both stopped, still as a statue when a moaning sound came from behind me. I didn't what it was but it sure sent a shiver all over my body.

'What was that?' Takumi asked wide eyes & perfect facade of false horror.

'Like hell I would know!' I whispered & scurried back to him.

'Maybe lady ghost-'

I swallowed back a scream & flung myself on him, knocking him off in the process.

'S-stop. Just shut up, Takumi! P-please.' My lip quivered as I stifled another sob.

'I'm sorry,' he chuckled.

'Stop s-scaring me like t-that. I mean it, Takumi. You're slowly injecting a heart attack on me, in case you don't realize it,' I fisted a handful of his clothes & buried my face on the crook of his neck.

Damn it, I was acting like total dipshit. But I didn't care. All I want was his comforting arms & warm presence.

'I'm sorry, you're just too cute when you cry.'

I bit him on the soft part of his neck. Hard. He yelped in pain but that didn't stop him.

'Now you're taking advantage on me, huh?' He muttered. His arms snaked around my waist & pulled me closer. We shifted into a much comfortable position.

'Hmm...' the fragrance coming off his skin was making me dizzy & sleepy. I yawned.

'Are you tired?' _No, your stupid pheromones are affecting my brain, pervert,_I wanted to say but another yawn beat me to it.

'Try to get some sleep, I'm sure someone will find us,' he assured. He began patting my back softly.

'Takumi...'

'Yeah?'

'A-aren't you afraid of something?' I swear, that question popped out of nowhere.

'...I guess,' he said hesitantly.

I sighed. The coolness & the sweet scents in the atmosphere was lulling me to sleep.

'And what would that be?' I prompted as another small yawn escaped.

'Maybe...' he paused. He also stopped patting my back. I wonder what's running on his mind? I hoped anything but perverted.

'I don't really know what I'm afraid of before. But now, maybe...probably...' his voice was so low I had to strain my ears & my slipping consciousness was making it hard to understand what he was mumbling about.

'I fear of losing you...'

Did he really say that?

Or was I dreaming?

I didn't bother to know because a pleasant dream began in my light sleeping. It was about a gorgeous prince that goes by the name Usui Takumi leaned close to me & put a tender, sweet kiss on the corner of my mouth.

'_Sleep tight, my princess...' _I heard him whisper in my dream before he faded away as I slumbered into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**:::**

**09/03/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Whuahhh! I came back to life! Let's celebrate XD

At last, I'm finally done! Oh, I'm so going to cry. T_T

Gosh... You don't know how much I longed for this chapter to finish. I really had difficult time writing this because these last few weeks was my midterm examination & we also organized a seminar for the whole juniors of our college.

Honestly, I didn't give any justice to this chapter. I'm horrible... It isn't as nice as I though it would be. Gomenasai m(_ _)m

I promise to make a better chapter!

Ah, yes. Before you go, I want to you to know that the real plot will emerge after a few chapters of cheesiness & fluffiness.

But in the mean time, please enjoy it :)

I'm actually thinking about a possible twist in their story...hmmm, maybe a RomeoXJuliet tragedy? Or maybe I should transform it to a super corny & funny story? Or maybe...well, I'll focus on it later, haha!

As always, thanks a bunch for reading my story! My happiness overflows whenever I read your reviews. Thank you!

Oh, my tablet just came back to life. It's time to murder fanfiction, mwuahahahaha!

Ja~!


	6. I Love You: Good or Bad?

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 06: I Love You: Good or Bad?****  
****:::**

_Remind me why I am with him again…_

I shook my head a little forceful & tried to rack my brain to remember why I'm currently stuck with the perverted prince _again_.

'Takumi, please! I am _not_going back in there!' I clenched my teeth as I dug the balls of my feet deep into the ground, determined not to get drag along with him.

'Don't be so noisy. Be quiet & follow me,' he whispered urgently.

My left eye twitched; the nerve of him to order me around!

He ducked abruptly to hid under a stone banister when a troop of guards passed by. I raised an eyebrow while I watched him crouched there like an oversized frog. He looked utterly stupid.

I suspiciously narrowed my eyes at him, 'now, what did you do? Did you commit a first degree murder? Who did you kill?'

'Get down here!' He yanked me in a not-so gentle way instead of answering.

'Ow! What the hell-'

'Shh!' he hissed, putting his index finger on his lips. He gave me an official complain-later look.

I huffed & stubbornly crossed my arms on my chest. I watched him half-irritated, half-amused as he carefully looked after the guards disappeared around the corner.

'They're gone,' he said.

'I can see that,' I heaved myself from the dirt & brushed off my skirt.

'Alright then, come on!' He was about to burst into a supernova run along with my detached arm but thankfully, I managed to trip him & stopped him from amputating my limb.

'Let me say this first, your highness,' I glared pointedly to him, clearing my throat a bit. 'I am _not_ going back in _there_,' I gestured to his towering house, 'not in a million years! The memory of that little excursion in the wine cellar still peeks behind my eyes, you know.' And please don't ask how we managed to get out of that abominable room. It involved a lot of eye-wincing curses & death-defying acts.

I continued to rant on: 'and you absolutely cannot barge in my door & drag me out to god-knows where whenever you feel like it!' I took a long breath to stabilize my sinking patience. 'Now...what the hell do you want from me today?!'

'Tell you later!' was his simple answer.

That & I went flying behind him.

No use. I sighed inwardly. If you want to give him a piece of your mind, I'm telling you _don't bother_. Whatever you say will end up flushed out from his other ear.

Takumi slowed down to stop at the back door. He poked his head inside like he was checking if someone's planning to jump on us. After making sure the coast was clear, he carefully let the rest of his body in, including me.

'Keep quiet, okay? We don't want to attract attention,' he said cautiously.

'Why are we-'

'Shhh...'

'Takumi...'

'Shhh...'

A vein popped in my forehead. That _shhh_thing was seeping in my nerves.

'Fine!' I grumbled. Stupid jerk.

He glanced at me. Noticing how sharp my eyes were, he took me by the hand & said, 'I'll tell you later, I promise.' The smile on his face was so annoyingly irresistible.

'I said fine, didn't I?'

He widened his smile & I let him pull me around.

And so the adventures of Takumi, the perverted prince & Misaki, the poor girl started.

We sneaked in the back door like a professional pair of thieves; dodging every person we saw, hiding behind the velvet curtains, walking on our toes. Yeah, all that idiotic things.

I followed him with deep scowl on my face & a lot of snide comments which could etch a painful scratch on a weak soul. Well, knowing him, his soul must've been made of fiber glass & his ears had this special filter that chooses the things he only wanted to comprehend.

'Takumi, you do realize that you're acting kind of extra stupid today, don't you?' I whispered as he peeked through a door in a hallway.

He grinned like a maniac & ushered me inside the room. This better be not like the damned basement...

'We're here,' he said.

'Where's _here_?' I asked sarcastically.

He was too busy to answer as he opened the big window in the far side of the room. He looked around it like he was assessing how to jump off without getting killed.

'Hey, what are we doing here?' I demanded. 'And why are you dangling your feet there? Are you suicidal or something?'

You know the tickling feeling when you view the ground from the 4th floor & above? Yeah, that one. I had it all covered my body when he swung his legs over the window sill, sitting there like he would still be in one piece even if I gave his back a little push.

'This is our only way out, my lady,' he smirked, gesturing towards the abyss.

I went over to his side & yelled, 'are you nuts?! Don't you see how high it is? No, thanks! I'm not a hybrid of monkeys & cats, unlike you.'

I am so amazed as to why he wasn't confined in an asylum.

'Misa-chan, you don't need to be a hybrid to figure out how to climb down here. Come on, I'll show you...or do you want me to carry you on my back?' He said suggestively.

'Hell no! God, you're mental. Did you bring me _in_ here just to get _out_the hard way? Are you trying show off you monkey skills?'

'No, not the monkey skills. I want to play by the river but the king & queen forbade me to go outside...' he pouted, voice fading out slowly.

I frowned, 'why would they do that?'

'Well, you know...the wine cellar incident reached their ears. They ordered me to stay in my room & reflect on what I'd put you through,' he explained.

A second or two passed.

'Pfft...'

'What?'

I burst out laughing. God, that was the most childish thing I've ever heard. Making your hyperactive 17-year-old son stay in his room to reflect on what he did? That would be the same as asking a 2-year-old kid to solve a complicated calculus problem.

'That's ridiculous! You? Stay in your room all day & reflect?' I shook my head dramatically, still chuckling. I knew the king & queen was such a very kind people. But the idea of their punishment was _too kind_.

He grinned, 'I know, right?'

'Maybe they should've just hanged you upside down or tied you up on a tree or something. Now _that's_reasonable,' I added.

'Nah, they're too soft for that.'

'Err, well, yeah...but I still don't understand why I'm here.'

Before he could speak, a loud banging & shuffling came from the door. It sounded like a whole army of soldiers were ready to blow up something big.

'There he is!' A yell came from below. Then followed by more noises.

_Guards? Why are the guards after him?_ I thought. Then a sudden idea struck me like a lightning. My eyes turned as big as a saucer, 'oh my god, you really _did_kill someone!' I accused.

He sneered, 'I forgot to tell you, my parents ordered the entire troop of security to keep _in_my room because apparently, this isn't the first time I did this.' He reached out to me & pulled me roughly by the wrist.

'Wha-' I started to protest. But my question turned to screams as the lunatic idiot really _jumped_off from the 5th-storey window with my whole being dangling along.

Adrenalin pumped through my body. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think coherently. All I can do was to hold onto Takumi's neck as if it was my lifeline.

My mind laughing hysterically & mocking at me: _you're gonna die a pathetic death!_

I whimpered as the rush of wind almost tore my skin off my bones. Before I shut my eyes tightly, I saw a band of palace guards agitatedly waiting for us to drop dead in front of their faces.

Then the wind suddenly stopped. Everything was so still I thought we died. But my pounding heart told me otherwise.

'Open your eyes,' a calm voice said.

I did. And I gasped. I looked around; we landed safely on our butts on the other side of the wall.

Takumi had his arms securely wrapped around me while I had my own tangled to his neck. To make it easy, the appropriate description was, we were hugging each other _fiercely_. My face went on fire & I pushed away from him.

'W-what do you think you're doing?!' I yelled angrily. Was I thinking about the jumping-off part? Or the hugging part? I currently hold no answer for that.

'I'm trying to get us out of the palace, cool huh?' He grinned as he held out his hand for me.

I made a face & grunted. But as always, I took his offered hand.

'You idiot,' I shot him an icy glare.

'That wasn't so bad,' he amended.

Wasn't so bad? Wasn't _so bad_? He nearly whipped the life out my body & it wasn't so bad?!

I was so angry I wanted beat him to pulp right then & there. But I fought the urges to punch him square on the face & tried to ignore him.

'Sorry,' he said timidly after a few silent moments. He probably felt the murderous aura coming from me.

I held myself from falling into his puppy-dog eyes. I didn't look at him & continued to mutter unintelligible curses.

'Look, I'm really sorry,' he said solemnly.

Even though I wasn't looking at him, his voice was so powerful I had the sudden feeling of wanting to pat him on the head & tell him it's going to be alright.

But I held on. No way am I giving in. I gritted my teeth & turned my back on him.

'Misaki...'

Oh shit. He was making my name sound like the most beautiful music in the world. It sent a tingling sensation down my spine.

Takumi softly snaked his arms around my waist & turned me slowly to his unbelievably gorgeous face.

I blushed furiously. And our close proximity didn't help at all. _Too close!_I internally screamed. But I remained frozen on my feet. My heart went *doki doki* while my mind went *toot toot*. No space was left untouched by our almost-conjoined bodies. If I stood on my toes, my lips will surely collide on his.

Whoa. Hey...not that I'm thinking of doing it. I'm just saying, okay? Gosh, why the hell did it ever cross my mind? You know what, forget it. Forget I ever said that. Erase, erase!

'W-what are you d-doing?' I stuttered.

'I'm sorry; I think I went too far. Maybe I should walk you home now.' The look on his face was absolute sadness. The one that can make you go 'aww...'

He droop his head in a very heart-wrenching way & started to guide me towards the dirt path that probably leads back to the castle.

I exhaled. Now he was using _that_technique. And I think he was succeeding because a huge wave of pity & guilt washed through me.

'I'm sorry,' he said again in the sorrowful voice of his. 'It was wrong of me to just drag you here when you clearly didn't want-'

'ARGH, FINE!' Boy, this alien could make any human ripped the hair from their own scalp!

He blinked at me innocently & I was tempted to whack him upside the head.

'Fine. I'll go with you, BUT!' I held up my index finger. 'This is going to be the last time you'll ever do this to me. _Ever_.

Slowly, his signature smirk came back to its rightful place on his disturbingly handsome face.

I rolled my eyes. I knew this was coming but hell, it really pissed me off.

'Where are we-' I caught my breath as Takumi brushed his thumb on my cheek [which was red hot from blushing].

'You got dirt...' he mumbled, still stroking my cheek in the gentlest manner.

I felt myself turning to a helpless jelly. I watched him wide-eyed as he continued to caress my face.

'There,' he smiled, drawing his hand away.

'T-thanks,' I muttered. Why do I feel so feverish?

'You're so cute when you're blushing like that,' he chuckled lightly.

'S-shut up! I'm not blushing!'

'Yes, you are.'

'Not!'

'Say, are you falling in love with me?'

Normally, I would just dismiss his remark with a sharp smack on his arm or a punch in his gut. But today was different. I was caught off guard as it actually sent my stomach flipping. I could feel something stirring within me. Did he hit the right spot?

'I-' I bit my lip.

Am I? Am I really falling for him? I can't think... No! That's not possible. Or is it? God, I was so messed up!

Takumi chuckled & put his hand on my head, ruffling my hair. 'Hmm, that's good.'

'Huh?' I looked up to him confusedly.

'That's good. Because I love you too.'

'What?' Unbelievable!

'I said I love you too,' he said, giving me his most adoring smile.

So simple yet it was enough to throw me on the ground like a full-blown blast on me. Figuratively speaking.

Then suddenly, a whole platoon of guards emerged from nowhere, hurriedly advancing their way towards us. Seeing their prisoner standing so casually outside the premises of his prison, all hell broke loose.

And just like that, the magic that Takumi casted broke off.

'Get him!' Someone shrieked.

'Don't let them get away!'

They moved as quickly as they could through the thick bushes & shrubs to where we stood. They looked like members of Hitler's fraternity & they're coming like angry tornadoes.

'Oh, that's not good. Come on!' Takumi exclaimed, tugging my hand. I shook myself out of the trance & we ran like we could never get to see the next sunshine.

'Damn it, why did I have to be a fugitive too?!' I yelled as I ran & gasped for air.

Takumi laughed, 'this is so much fun!'

'Running away from a bunch of bulky guards is your idea of fun?!'

He laughed even more, adding efforts to his running & pushing the limits of my legs.

'Are they ordered to shoot & kill?' I asked nervously as the wind rushed through my ears.

'Not that I've know of,' he grinned.

Despite the adrenalin coursing through my veins, I could still see how carefree he was. Wind blowing his messy blonde hair & eyes twinkling in delight, I felt a surge of happiness flushed through me.

Maybe...just maybe, a small part of me came to like him. There, I admit it. I like him but just a tiny bit!

After a series of twist & turns, curses & scratches, we lost the darn guards.

'I...can't...believe you,' I wheezed.

'It was...exhilarating, wasn't...it?' He heaved faster breaths & the sweats that trickled down his temples glistened under the bright sunlight.

'God, you're crazy!'

'Thanks,' he grinned.

I glanced at him & unconsciously, I got infected by his smile.

We rested our screaming legs for a while then we set off to the river nearby.

As soon as water came to view, Takumi made a mad dash to it & dove for it like an overexcited dolphin.

'Come on, Misa-chaaaaaaaa~n! The water is cool!' He called over.

I smiled at his childishness. 'Alright!' I shouted back as I took off my sandals. Since I'm here, I might as well enjoy myself. Though a part of me was still nagging about the sudden I-love-you-too thing from the prince, I forcefully pushed it out of my mind.

After all, he might just be bluffing on me. Yeah, he must be joking.

_Ouch…_

The though squeezed my heart painfully.

**:::**

**9/14/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

GOMENASAIIIII~!

You're all aware to this thing called "life", right? Well, that thing is catching up on me with the speed of a thousand miles per hour so I have to turn & kicked it back to where it belongs. I'm very sorry! I want you to know that I'm a college student & its the time of the year for our thesis...I hope you understand :)

Right, about this chapter, I rushed to finish this so I apologize again for all the confusing events here. If you can't understand something [which I'm sure there are a lot], please don't hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer those, hehe! So, what do you think about the I-love-you-too part? Is the flow of event too fast or what?

*sigh* Its lame, I know. But I hope with all my heart that you still like this chapter T_T

Guys, I may not write stories as interesting as others but please stick with me till the end, onegaishimasu m(_ _)m

Thank you so much!


	7. Last Summer Day

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 07: Last Summer Day**

**:::**

The aroma of a delicious food woke me up from my slumber, one sunny morning in the late summer.

I immediately recognized the smell; it was my favorite! I scrambled out my bed, tripping over the tangled blanket & came crashing down the floor head first.

I ignored the growing sore on my forehead, elbows & knees. I excitedly rushed down the stairs, nearly missing another step & almost trampling all over again.

Like any Saturday mornings, I turned to someone whose high on drugs as soon as my dad's cooking reached my senses. Saturdays are his off day so he cooks for us. For me, in particular.

'I knew you'd be awake,' my mom chuckled, seeing how disheveled I was.

'Hey, mom! Good morning,' I greeted enthusiastically.

'Your hair looks like a haystack,' my dad commented from the kitchen.

'Good morning, papa!' I giggled, skipping towards him & peeking over his shoulder. I grinned idiotically. Of course, I already knew it before I even open my eyes.

My dad is the only person in the world that can cook my favorite in exact taste I want. No more, no less. My own version of this dish is good, my mom's is better but my dad's the best!

'You're drooling,' he teased, wiping an imaginary drool on my chin.

'Eh? I am not!' I stuck my tongue & left him to fix myself.

I combed my raven hair & for the first time in a long while, I tied it in a tight bun. I splashed water on my face to remove any morning glory & brushed my teeth quickly.

'Misaki, food is-'

'I'm coming!'

Food was neatly laid down on our wooden dining table when I came around. I wanted to weep as I saw the dishes, it was all my favorites. I jumped on my seat began devouring everything on the table.

'Eat slowly,' my mom said, flashing her motherly look.

'It's so delicious!' I exclaimed. 'You haven't lost your touch, Ayuzawa Sakuya!'

'Of course!' My dad burst with pride. We laughed & high-fived.

Breakfast is always fun in our household. But Saturday beats any other day because food is always extra delicious. We continued to ate animatedly; conversing about our own weekday happenings.

My dad suddenly cleared his throat, 'ahem, so...my daughter, someone told me you're the prince girlfriend.' Not a question, _a statement_. He watched me with teasing eyes but he had his famous tell-the-truth expression on his face.

Instantly, like a copper pan, my face heated up. My chopsticks jumped out of my hand while I choked on my food.

'W-we're f-f-friends-' I coughed. 'We're friends! Without that _girl_part! Who the hell is this "someone" spitting about that ridiculous rumor?!' I blurted out as soon as I recovered. I hoped my face won't be as red as little red riding hood...

'Oh, just the king & queen,' he sneered, clearly enjoying himself from teasing me.

My jaw dropped open. They did what?! Man, they're crazier than I thought. They even dare telling my dad about their delusional thinking.

Stupid royal ass.

'T-that's not true!' I protested, shaking my head to the point of almost breaking my neck.

'Hmmm,' my dad nodded slowly as if thinking whether it's a bad thing or not. My mom was stifling a giggle.

'Are you sure it's not true?' She asked softly but I was sure she was enjoying herself too.

'Of course!'

'Because the color of your face says otherwise.' She was laughing now along with my dad.

I gasped as I roughly brushed my face with my hands. They continued laughing like maniacs.

God, what is wrong with this two?

This is what I hate about being the only child; you're their only happiness. Literally. What a bummer.

'Shut it!' I grumbled.

'Oh, honey...it's okay, you don't have to deny it. We're not mad,' my mom said soothingly.

'I _am_mad,' I mumbled. I crossed my arm & pouted.

'Don't worry, Misaki-chii. You're in the middle of being young & in love. Enjoy it with Takumi as much as you can, okay? Papa is so happy for you!' And the idiot mode of my father has been activated.

Oh joy. Now I have the permission from my parents for my nonexistent romantic relationship with the prince.

'I'm telling you it's not like that! We're just-'

A loud knock came from the front door.

'I got it,' my mom left to answer whoever knocked.

'Why didn't you tell us sooner?' My dad continued to pry.

'Because there's nothing to tell about! God, why are you all so persistent?!'

I don't understand why everyone is so crazy to pair me up with-

'Takumi!' He suddenly rose from his seat & smiled widely.

_Speak of the devil..._ I rolled my eyes. _What is he doing here so early in the freaking morning?!_I stabbed a broccoli with extra force & popped it on my mouth.

'Good morning, Sakuya-san.'

Takumi's unmistakable voice sounded so damn familiar to me.

'Good morning to you too. Come, join us for breakfast.'

'Here, you can occupy this seat,' my mom pulled the chair beside me, of course.

'Thank you, Minako-san.'

Takumi sat with a smirk plastered on his face. My parents went back to their respective seat to continue their breakfast. Or should I say continued their silent taunting on me. Especially now that the other person in subject was seating right next to me.

'Good morning, Misaki,' he greeted me softly.

'Hn,' I nodded once, not bothering to look at him.

'Go help yourself, Takumi. Sakuya cooked all these, you know,' my mom offered him the plate of omelet.

'Really? Then please excuse me,' he smiled & took the plate.

After he tasted a few bites, I cautiously glanced to my parents, who were talking quietly to each other. I grabbed the chance & nudged him.

'What are you doing?!' I whispered through my gritted teeth.

He gaped at me, 'I'm eating.'

I nearly toppled him over the table & beat his sorry ass. A vein throbbed in my forehead, 'I can see that, captain obvious. What I meant is, what the hell are you doing here in _our_house?!'

'Oh, I just happen to pass by...' he shrugged.

'Don't give me that crap!'

'What?' The annoying look on his face was getting on my nerves.

'Argh. Whatever!' I groaned. Stupid, stupid, stupid, perverted, outer-space prince of aliens. Biggest jerk in the whole wide universe! I wanted to hit him with a crowbar or anything to disable him permanently.

'So, what brings our prince here today?' My dad spoke. I made a face at him & stuck out my tongue when he wiggled his eyebrows at me suggestively.

Takumi smiled & sat properly, like he was in a business meeting or something.

'Sakuya-san, Minako-san, you know about the festival that the whole kingdom celebrates every last day of summer, right?'

'Yes, yes, we're quite aware of that,' he replied.

'For this year's celebration, my parents decided to have a ball in the great hall. Will you come?' There he goes again, flashing those puppy-dog eyes of his.

'Of course! We won't miss it for the world,' my mom smiled reassuringly.

'And the tradition-'

'Ah, yes, the last summer day tradition! How could we forget about it? That was the most memorable event in our lives, right, Minako?' My dad went all gooey with my mom.

I rolled my eyes & sighed. Yeah, how could they ever forget the day they met each other? Even I, who didn't even exist yet during those time can tell the story of their _fateful day_in perfect, accurate details.

Well, that's because they _never_ ceased to reminisce that cheesy day & _never_failed to drown me in their love story.

Do old people tend to be like that all the time?

'About that,' Takumi cleared his throat a little forcefully. I looked at him irritatingly, _what do you have to say now? Just get over it & get the hell out of here before I kick you out myself._

However, the next words he said didn't make any sense in the english language.

'I came here to ask permission to take your daughter as my date for the summer festival.'

.

.

.

Say what?

* * *

The Kingdom of Zelawien celebrates the end of summer every year in festivities & merriment. It is how they convey their thanks to the gods for wonderful harvest & good weather.

All the townspeople participate in the event. Food & drink will be served in the banquet, bands & orchestra will be there to make the night alive & of course, every couple will dance together as part of the tradition. It will strengthen the love between them, they say.

Then why in the world am I wearing this despicable summer dress? It clearly says there that it's for couples. _Couples!_

F*ck this.

I am going kill that abominable alien. I'm gonna rip off his head & watch till the last drop of his blood. Who ate his brain, anyway? He was totally possessed when he came over to our house & asked permission from my parents to take me out on a date.

'Oh, honey...you're so beautiful,' my mom cooed as soon as I stepped out my room.

I wore a thin white summer dress with fiery red flowers embroidered randomly on it. It was loose fitting that flowed down to the middle of my shin. My hair was tamed to a low messy bun just under my right ear which my mom insisted on putting a red flower ornament. My overall outfit was completed with a pair of red doll shoes.

'T-thanks, mom,' I muttered shyly.

'Aww, my baby daughter is all grown up now. Having a date with the prince & leaving her poor dad...' my good old dad went theatrically teary. He opened his arms to gave me a hug which I expertly dodged.

'Oh, shut up! It's not like I'm going to get married. Don't be so melodramatic, dad. Besides, _you_agreed to this,' I stuck my tongue childishly. 'Enjoy your date with mom, I'll see you later,' I shoved past them & stomped my way out of the house.

I sighed once I was securely out of the 50-meter radius from them.

Cool late summer breeze blew sharply. It sent chills on my bare shoulders. I told my mom that halter top was a bad idea. Did she listen to me? No! And now I'm shivering like a wet dog.

'Misaki,' a ghostly whisper called out as gentle warmth slowly touched my shoulder. I looked up & the air was knocked out of my lungs.

'T-Takumi?' Duh? Who else?

'You're cold. Let's get you inside.'

I stared at him unblinking while he snaked his arm around my waist & guided me to the castle.

This person beside could not possibly be the alien I met. He was beyond gorgeous. I felt my face combusting into flames just by looking at him. He was so beautiful, like a true prince [I know, I know. He _is_the prince. But he usually doesn't seem like one].

Takumi's emerald eyes glittered under the rising moon, his skin seemed to glow & the soft smile on his lips was so unbearably adorable. He was wearing a simple traditional clothes yet he made it looked like a trending fashion.

Seriously, is it possible for someone who's already handsome to be _more_handsome?

'You're staring at me.' His eyes bore into mine, leaving me in a state of trance.

We stood just a few steps away from the main door, gawking at each other like we've seen a creature unknown to mankind.

I gulped. What am I supposed to say? Yeah, coz you're freaking gorgeous. He would flip if I say that.

'You're so beautiful...' he murmured so low I could barely hear it. His hands curled on my arms & my heart thumped unevenly when I realized he was pulling me closer to him. I felt the warmth coming off from his body. He bent down until our noses were almost touching, his eyes were melting jewels & never left mine, like he was silently asking, 'is it okay? Push me if you don't want to.'

I wanted to push him & call him pervert but I was so rooted I couldn't move a muscle. Oh god, I _am_going to die right on the spot!

I refused to acknowledge what he was about to do because I was so afraid that I won't object & that I would want more.

Shit.

My eyes fluttered unconsciously as he inched closer to my lips...

.

.

.  
'Ahem!'

We both jumped out of skins when my parents materialized out of nowhere. We were almost centimeters apart but now I found myself a good 5 meters away from Takumi. My face was like a burning hell.

'D-dad?'

Shoot!

'Good evening, Sakuya-san, Minako-san,' Takumi greeted them with complete easiness.

'Takumi, you take care of my princess, okay?' My father gave him stern look for a moment then waved his hand dismissively, 'be good, kids! Enjoy the night.'

'Yes, sir,' Takumi nodded once & flashed his breathtaking smile.

Silence engulfed us once my parents disappeared through the door.

I watched him awkwardly put a hand on his neck, muttering something I couldn't understand. He sighed & I jolted as he abruptly turned to look at me.

'Uh, sorry Misa-chan...' he grimaced like the words were choking him.

Was he saying sorry because we were interrupted? Or was he sorry because he didn't really mean to _that_at all?

I shook my head, 'l-let's just go inside & get over with this.' I walked past him to the door. A bit of disappointment lingered in the pit of my stomach.

**:::**

**9/17/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Hiya, minna-san!

Are you disappointed too? Yup, me too. My classmate made sure I regret the cliff-hanging kiss *rolls eyes*. She almost smacked the iPod to my face when I let her read it.

Well, as you can see, I finished this chapter just now. I am so bad because I'm in the middle of class _right now_. My professor isn't here but my classmates are currently reporting about Airline Customers & I am not listening. Hehe XD

Anyway, will you give me a round of applause for my sneakiness & for being an excellent student? Hahaha!

Did you know why Misaki is covered with red color? Because I happen to paint my nails with vampire red last night. So there...things just turned out all red :D

Next chapter: I'm starting to type it now! I'm so excited; I hope you'll _love_it. I'm going to pour all my romantic knick-knacks on it!

But I still hope you like this one, too.

Thanks a bunch to all my faithful readers, favoriters, followers & reviewers.

Hai! Let's go all out on the next chapter, ja~!

**PS**: I changed the rating to capital T [because I uses _a lot_ of profane words].


	8. Tonight was a Fairytale

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::****  
****Chapter 08: Tonight was a Fairytale****  
****:::**

'Let's go together.'

I froze; Takumi caught my hand & slowly intertwined our fingers.

'Takumi...'

'Come on, it's getting colder,' he tugged me gently.

'...okay.'

I wanted to know what was running on his mind when he leaned so very close to me. I wanted to talk to him, ask him why he almost did "it". But I couldn't.

I was too embarrassed. A little bit part of me was anticipating it. Okay, maybe a _big_part of me wanted that. I wonder how it would felt to be kissed.

Yuck! I sounded like a hopeless romantic.

As the grand door to the great hall opened, I was blinded by the bright lights.

'Urgh,' I had to shield my eyes & waited for them to adjust.

I tightened my grip around his hand as I looked around surrounding. I did mention about my rusty people skills, right? I cringed closer to him like a downright coward.

The hall was overflowing with people. Too many for my comfort. And it didn't help that they "all" turned their heads towards our direction.

'It's okay,' Takumi whispered reassuringly. I nodded. As long as he was beside me, I'll be okay. Can you believe that?

He smiled warmly to me, making my heart go wild again. He gave a small wave to the crowd like the royal prince he was.

Suddenly, a huge swarm of girls came hurling towards us, squealing & giggling.

'Good evening, ladies.' Takumi greeted the wild girls. As for me, I bravely hid behind him.

'Takumi-sama! You're so handsome!'

'Dance with me, dance with me!'

'Kyaaaah! I love you, Takumi-sama!'

'Marry me!'

God, their squealing can beat a herd of goats. I so wanted to rip off their vocal cords & crush it with my foot.

Takumi smiled idiotically, entertaining his fan girls. His hand started to loosened on mine. Anxiousness & this unknown feeling bubbled in my heart.

What is this? Why do I feel like this? Damn. This is getting so annoying.

Just as I was about to give a good kick behind his knees to remind him of my existence, he gripped my hand so tightly I almost cry out in pain. He yanked me & in one quick motion, I stood next to him, hand-in-hand. A real couple image showing off.

'I'm sorry ladies but I already have a date with this beautiful girl here,' he said with a hint of pride in his voice. He boasted our intertwined hands to their faces. Mine was beginning to turn violet.

The fan girls started buzzing.

'Eh?'

'Who is she?'

'She's not pretty!'

'She doesn't even look like a royalty or aristocrat at all.'

Snide comments shot from every direction. It was perfectly aimed at me. Great, I earned a whole bunch of ugly enemies in just one night.

So what if I'm not pretty? What if I'm not a royalty or aristocrat? At least "I am" the prince's date. I stuck my nose high & wore the smuggest face I could muster.

'Maybe she's a witch!' *left eye twitched*

'Yeah, yeah...she probably used some kind of evil magic to lure our prince.' *a nerve popped somewhere in my head*

'What a bitch!' *my eyesight turns bloody red*

That's it. There goes my last straw. Why I oughtta...

But before I could open my mouth to give them a piece of my mind the painful way, Takumi almost dragged me away from those horrible creatures.

'I'm sorry, please enjoy the night.' He winked at them, much to my utter irritation, & hurriedly ushered me to the garden of the great hall.

Takumi whistled once we were out of earshot. But I could still feel their electrically-charged glares on my back.

He smirked, 'I told yah. You'll be the envy of all the girls in the kingdom.'

'Yeah, right. They looked like they're about to skin me alive,' I rolled my eyes.

'I wouldn't let my date go unskin, would I? Maybe if they would want to _undress_ you..._that_I would not object at all,' he grinned mischievously.

'Pervert,' I huffed.

Silence fell on us. I noticed that the garden was also decorated with beautiful orbs of lights & canopies. No one was there but us.

'Misaki...' he called out quietly.

A small smile played on my lips when he called my name. Hey, that was involuntary.

'Hm?' I looked at him.

'I-'

The sound of music started from the hall, interfering what he was about to say.

'Yes?' I prompted.

He smiled on return but he shook his head, 'nothing. I am just staggered by your beauty.' He affectionately caressed the long locks of fringe hanging on the side of my face, making me shiver.

'Uh-' I choked, blush after blush assaulted my face.

'T-thanks, I guess. Well, y-you, too. You know... you, uh, look...h-handsome. The clothes s-suits you,' I mumbled incoherently. God, what am I saying?

Takumi laughed out loud. He doubled over, clutching his stomach. Embarrassment turned my face crimson red.

'W-what's so funny, jerk?!'

'That was the first time you ever complimented me. Are you sick or something?' He asked teasingly as he wiped his tears of joy.

'S-shut up! It took all my might to say that without vomiting. Just savor my rare compliment!' I turned my back on him, hiding the super red face of mine.

'Amen to that,' he chuckled.

Once again, silence surrounded us. The music resonated through the garden in a very soothing way, like a lullaby. I saw the people dancing in pairs with the rhythm in the great hall.

I glanced back to Takumi, he watched me with the most charming look his face could ever produce.

'Dance with me, Misaki...' he said softly as he held out his hand for me. He was slightly bowing to me like what guys usually do when asking a girl for a dance. And he was _seriously_glowing. Did he eat a whole sack of stars?

I gulped; cold & hot water seemed to pour down on me at the same time. He looked at me with such intense eyes like he was penetrating my very soul.

Hesitantly, I took his warm hand. _Well...this is what I came here for, right?"_

I smiled, 'yes, I would like to have this dance with you, my handsome prince.' I snickered while he grinned idiotically.

'That will take some time to get used to it. But that won't be a problem,' he smirked.

'Don't get too carried away, my prince,' I smirked back at him. And since when did I started addressing him as "mine"?

We were both lacking a few screws in our brains now. Fantastic.

Takumi pulled me closer to him until only our thin clothes separate our bodies. Emerald eyes dominated my amber ones. I couldn't look away, there was magic in his eyes that tells me to stare at them.

He put my hands on his shoulder then he caressed his own hands behind my back. And obviously, we danced.

I silently thank my lucky stars that I knew the dance well enough. Well, enough to avoid tripping over my own feet & humiliate myself.

_This is so ridiculous,_I thought.

Here we are, all alone in the middle of the garden, twisting & twirling like chocolate vanilla swirly bits [LOL]. Okay, that was an overstatement. It was just slow dance & we barely moved at all.

He touched the flower on my hair, 'looks so pretty on you.'

I blushed, '...my mom insisted on putting it,' I mumbled.

'If you don't stop blushing like that, I might just kiss you,' he smirked.

'Wha-' my blush deepened as I swatted him on the shoulder. 'Stop teasing me, pervert!'

'You really prefer a real one, huh? Misa-chan is so sly,' he sneered.

'No!' I protested.

'Really? Doesn't seem like...'

'Shut up!'

'Want me to kiss you?'

I narrowed my eyes despite the metal butterfies in my stomach, 'I'm about _this_ close on slamming my fist on your face.'

'I'm shutting up.'

* * *

A million years passed & we're still in the garden. Since the music ended, we end up sitting on a bench. The night was cooler than previous nights. Autumn is coming soon.

'Do you want to come inside now?' Takumi had been asking me the same question for over ten times.

I shook my head again for over tenth time too, 'I want to stay here, okay?' _Because I didn't want get mobbed by your crazy fan girls, I might add._

He pouted, 'you want me only for yourself.'

'Excuse me?' I stared at him incredulously.

'Nah, I'm just kidding,' he smiled. But I hit him anyway.

'You are one violent woman, you know that? But I like it.'

I sighed. This guy just goes on ranting about embarrassing things. How very annoying. I made a face & look away. I concentrated on the decorations hanging on the trees.

Then suddenly, a trail of goose bumps appeared on my nape, like someone's breathing on it. I glanced back & almost bumped my nose on Takumi's.

I gasped, 'w-w-what are you doing?!' Before I could move away, he leaned closer & locked his arms on either side of my body, holding me in place.

Takumi smiled so freaking sweet.

'I want to see you blush,' his eyes glistened under the bright lanterns. His lips looked extra sexier. Damn it.

'Eh?'

'Because I want to kiss you,' he continued.

My eyes went as large as a saucer. But I still don't get him. What does he mean by that? Is he really retarded or did he just have a twisted sense of humor? Either way, it wasn't funny. Didn't he know that a kiss is a serious thing? You can't go on kissing some random people just because you find their blush adorable. Didn't he know that I was so anticipating this? I wanted to cry because I couldn't believe that I felt this way.

I chuckled weakly, 's-stop joking with me, Takumi. You're not making any sense.'

'What if I'm not joking?' He challenged.

_Yeah, so what if he's not joking?_my brain asked back.

_Shut up, I'm trying to think!_I growled to my stupid head.

_Ooohhh, you better think fast, Misaki. He's going to ravish your lips faster than you can even say 'joke'_!

True enough; the prince's royal breath was sending chills on me, even though it felt warm on my face.

_Oh, well. Why struggle if you want it too? Just go with the flow,_the 2nd voice in my head suggested.

Takumi had his hand behind my neck now & the other one around my waist. I held his clothes tightly & eventually, I closed my eyes.

And he kissed me.

I had a total meltdown on the spot. His lips were cottony soft & it felt so gentle on my mine. My heart did about a hundred 540 kicks on my ribs & all I can think about was, _goodbye, first kiss!_

I didn't know how long we crushed our lips together but Takumi pressed me harder & angling his head to get better access.

It seemed that goose bumps covered my whole body when I felt his tongue brushed along my lower lip. I had the urge to push him but my limbs were weak, like he was sucking my energy through the kiss.

Oh, may the good spirits help me! He was prying my lips open with his tongue. But be that as it may, I couldn't resist. I didn't even find it disgusting. Was it normal?

A small gasp escaped from my mouth as he continued to make trails with his tongue along my lips. He seized the tiny gap & I could feel his hot tongue against mine.

My braincells went sizzling.

He slowly explored my mouth in a very sensual way that made me want to respond. Exactly like that, I _wanted_to respond.

Experimentally, I opened my mouth & allowed him completely. It wasn't the wild kind of open-mouthed kiss but it was...very comfortable, actually. Passionate even. As if we were full of love for each other.

Air was depleting in my lungs but I _don't_want to. Shit, since when did I become a kissing maniac? How shameful.

Takumi drew back slowly, keeping me close & cupping my face. I realized my hands had made it on his neck, tangled like snake around it.

We both panted & our faces were flushed pink.

He smiled widely, showing off his pristine white teeth. I blushed with extra shade of bloody red as it dawned on me that we just kissed. Or more like smooched with each other.

Takumi rested his forehead on mine for a minute & pulled back slightly. He looked so happy, like someone's about to give him a million dollar.

He seemed perfectly fine; breathing, heart beating a little bit faster than normal but a lot calmer compared to mine & living his life as he usually do.

But unfortunately for me, I couldn't do any of that, except to stare, gape & gawk at him like he was the most complex diagram in the world. That mind-blowing kiss rendered me speechless.

I managed to slide down my hands off his neck & rested it on my lap. I was shaking.

A few minutes had already passed & still, neither of us was talking. He took my cold hand & began playing with my fingers while I still gaped at him.

'If you stare at me any longer, I might just burst into flames,' Takumi chuckled.

I blinked. He smirked playfully.

'You...' I whispered.

'Hm?' He cocked his head in a very cute way.

'You...tasted like chocolate,' I said shyly. Maybe that was the reason I wanted to kiss him?

Takumi laughed. Before I could react, he pecked me on my lips.

'There are a lot of bonbons on the table,' he winked. He took my hand & we made our way back inside the great hall like we did nothing out of ordinary.

Now what?

**:::****  
****09/22/12 OWARI****  
****:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:**  
**

*dropped dead*

That...is so cheesy! WTF am I doing?! I'm so sorry, I promised to put in a lot of effort in the kiss but hey, I don't even have my first kiss yet! How will I suppose to know how it feels to be kissed, let alone smooched? [Tsk, I should start putting up a 'wanted' sign for first kiss, LOL].

Besides, I'm on the verge of dying. I am currently having a spontaneous combustion at 39.5 degree Celsius. It's been going on for 5 days now. I don't know what's wrong with me but I will definitely _not_ be going to the hospital. You have to _make_me.

So yeah...so very, deeply sorry for promising something I couldn't fulfill. I hope you understand guys.

Anyway, I'm still hoping you, at least like this update *crossed fingers*

Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting & following this story! Arigatou gozaimasu :)

Ja~!


	9. And So I Stupidly Fell Head First

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 09: And So I Stupidly Fell Head First**

**:::**

I sat on a bench in the castle yard, swinging my legs idly. I yawned; the afternoon was so boring.

Four days had passed since the festival. The weather turned cold. Leaves & plants started to vanish from the garden. Everything was turning yellow & orange. Few more weeks & winter will set in. The thought made me shiver.

It has also been four days since I've last seen the prince. After we slaughtered the holy mountain of bonbons that was served on the table that night, he accompanied me home & kissed me again on my doorstep, leaving me dumbfounded. Again.

In just one night, I lost not only my first kiss but also my second, third, fourth & possibly, the fifth one, too. I blushed at the thought & tried to rub it off my head. So much for my first kiss! I massaged my temple & winced slightly.

On that next day, I was actually waiting for him to materialize somewhere near me like he usually do. But the day went by & I didn't catch as much as a glimpse of him.

It went on until now. I was beginning to worry. Okay, I'll take that back, I was beginning to get _pissed_.

That damn pervert. Where the hell was he? I've been waiting for four freaking days already. I need to talk to him. I want to clear some things. Because those things were forming circles under my eyes & depriving me of a good night sleep.

I sighed.

There's no way we're going to be _friends_after that impressive make-out, right? But if we're not going to be friends & we kissed already then... what? A couple?

My eyes widened.

No. Couples are in love with each other. Takumi & I were not like that! We absolutely don't have anything to do with each other.

_Are you sure you don't have anything to do with him? Well, now I wonder what that oh-so-hot kiss was for?_A mocking voice in my head said.

Argh! I wanted to rip my hair off my scalp. _Takumi, you pervert! Why do you have to kiss me & disappear within the next second?! Why do you always left me hanging on?_I thought frustrated.

'Misaki,'

I nearly slid off the bench when my mom appeared beside me.

'Mom! You scared me to death!'

'I called you several times already but you're in deepest chasm of your thoughts. Is there something wrong, honey?' She sat beside me & put a bowl of bunny apples on my lap.

I shook my head, 'I'm alright, mom. Don't worry.' I knew she wasn't convinced when her eyes lingered on my face longer than necessary.

'If something's bothering you, you can always talk about it with me or with your papa, okay?' She squeezed my hand & smiled warmly.

Mothers & their scary instincts.

'I know. Thanks, mom,' I smiled back.

'Did you have a fight with Takumi?'

I choked on the apple I just popped into my mouth. 'W-what makes you think l-like that, mom?'

'Because you seemed to be so cranky these past few days & you looked distracted. I figured you had a fight with him. Am I right?'

I shook my head, 'it's not like that. We're...fine, mom. Absolutely fine.'

'Hmm,' she nodded thoughtfully.

We ate in comfortable silence though both my heart & mind raced a hundred miles an hour.

'...mom,' I said hesitantly.

'Yes?'

'Uhm, h-h-how does it feels to be in love?' Heat flooded my cheeks & I can't believe I just asked my mom about that.

She laughed. 'My...is that what bothers you? Are you in love?' She said in the most annoying way possible.

'I-it's not like that! I'm not...I mean, I don't-' God, what am I blubbering?!

She continued to giggle.

'Mom!'

'Sorry,' she bit her lower lip to keep a hold of herself.

'Forget it. Forget I ever asked that stupid question,' I grumbled, picking the bowl & about to stomp away.

'No! No, no. I'll stop now,' she caught my wrist & pulled me back to sit.

I scowled.

'No, really. I won't tease you,' her eyes wrinkled as she smiled.

'Whatever,' I huffed.

'So, what is this about being in love?'

'I told you, just forget about it. It's nothing. It doesn't matter, anyway.'

'It's _not_ nothing & yes, it _does_matter,' she insisted. She smiled gently while caressing my hair. I felt like a small child.

'You know, being in love is not a bad thing-'

'I never said it was a bad thing,' I mumbled.

'But you "make" it sound like it's a bad thing-'

'Mom, just get straight to the point,' I sighed exasperatedly.

'Okay, what I mean is, don't hold yourself back. I know that _you_ know how to fall in love & be _in_love, you're not that naive, Misaki. And I know you're in love with him,' she smiled wider & poked my side playfully.

'Him?' I raised an eyebrow. Uh-oh.

'The prince!' She blurted out, giggling like crazy.

'I'm in love with the prince?' *insert a very innocent look here*

'Yes!'

I blinked several times, 'uhm...are you sure?'

My mom exhaled & rolled her eyes, 'and here I just told you you're not naive.'

I laughed nervously.

But kidding aside, I knew she was going to say that. I know that deep inside me, something very horrible [or wonderful; depends on how you look at things] is stirring because of that stupid pervert. I may look like it but I'm not dumb. I know the tickling sensations trying to invade me whenever Takumi is around. I know how my body reacts when he touched me. I know the way my heart pumps with extra force whenever he flashed his adoring smile.

These feelings, as much as I hate to admit it, I know all of it. Because I am now perfectly aware that I am falling in love with him. Or maybe I was already in love with him for a long time & that kiss made me realize it?

'Don't hold your self back, Misaki,' my mom repeated, giving me a pat on my back. 'Tell him how you feel with all the confidence you have. If you continue to deny it then one day, you'll be waking up with a sack of regret weighing you down. Love can turn your life to either extreme happiness or excruciating pain. The more time you contain it, the more it hurts. But you have the power to manipulate the twist & turns of your life, don't let a small choice change everything.'

'I...I'm scared, mom,' I said quietly.

'What's there to be scared of?'

'What if-what if he doesn't like me that way?' _Well, he might just experiment with that kiss for all we know!_

'Oh, please!' I was surprised when my mom hollered. She waved her hand vigorously like I just said something so offensive. 'Don't you see the way he stares at you like you're the only girl in his eyes? Misaki, open your eyes; that boy is in love with you, too.'

I shook my head, 'mom, you're seeing things.'

'No, I'm not. Seriously, you two are always together yet you're blind to all his moves,' she pouted.

'He just loves to tease me, that's all.' _I refuse to believe. I refuse to believe. Don't get your hopes high coz it'll shatter you._

'Stop denying it.'

'I am not-'

'Why do you think he loves to tease you? Why do you think he wanted you to be his summer date? He's the gorgeous prince of this land, he could just pull around some girl for a date but he went out personally to ask your dad to have you that night. Isn't that reasons enough?' My mom ranted on like she was giving me a sermon for not cleaning my room.

'Well, okay! Fine, if you see it that way. But what if he got other _nonromantic_reasons for doing those things? What if he doesn't really like me?' I asked desperately.

'Then I'll castrate him-'

'Mom!'

She laughed out loud. I was blushing furiously. Damn, do you have any idea how embarrassing is it to talk about your miserable love life with your mom? Especially when she started saying those silly threats? Well, as of the moment, I only wanted the ground to open, swallow me up & wipe out my sorry existence from the face of the planet.

'Well, there's only one way to find out,' she stood & smiled. She had the in-case-you-messed-up-I'll-be-right-behind-you kind of face.

I smiled weakly, 'yeah, I guess. I'll probably drop dead in front of him.'

'You can do it. When you love someone, however hard it is, you can do it,' she cheered on.

I nodded. God, I can't believe she just said all those things to me. I watched as she turned around to leave me alone.

'Mom,' I called out.

She looked back, 'yes?'

'Thank you for helping me out. And thanks for slapping that despicable truth to my face.'

'No problem, dear! I could've force it down to your throat if necessary,' she grinned, waved once & was gone. I sat there again with a bowl of bunny apples for company.

It's official. I love him. I _am_in love with Usui Takumi, the prince of Zelawien. Holy crap.

There you go; I just admitted it to myself. Unconsciously, I touched my lips. _And he kissed you for like, four or five times. How exhilarating was that?_

'But do I really have to say that to him?' I muttered to myself as I nibbled a chunk of apple.

_Tell him how you feel with all the confidence you have. If you continue to deny it then one day, you'll be waking up with a sack of regret weighing you down. Love can turn your life to either extreme happiness or excruciating pain. The more time you contain it, the more it hurts._

My mom's words echoed in my head. Ah! What should I do? I might just burst into pieces if I confess to him! Seriously, what is wrong with me? How could I fall in love with that perverted prince of aliens?

As I ponder, another human materialized beside me. They like to do that whenever I'm in a really deep thought. I mean, what the hell?

'You must be the famous Misaki,' someone said quietly. I gritted my teeth in annoyance. Why can't just people leave me alone?

'Yeah, I am. You got any problem with that?' I looked up to whoever it was.

And I gasped.

In front of me was Takumi. Well, not exactly, since _the_ Takumi I knew was blonde. Now, _this_Takumi had raven hair. I thought something got into my eyes, unless he decided to dye it black or wear a wig for whatever reason.

'Y-you're...not Takumi,' I said slowly, taking in his familiar yet stranger appearance.

'That would be obvious,' he laughed. I don't know why but the sound of it felt so cold & menacing. His emerald eyes glinted with malice, so much different from the prince's cheery warm ones.

'Well then, who the hell are you?' I barked back. Something's telling me I should drop my sharp tongue but hey, I can't help myself. I was born with that talent & I dare you to speak softly when someone roamed their malicious eyes on you.

'You don't know me?' He cocked his head curiously. Usually, I would find it adoring when Takumi do that but with this guy, it felt so annoying.

I tightened my fist to hold my hand from grabbing his hair & banging his birdbrain of a head on the concrete bench. I rolled my eyes instead. 'Thank you, captain obvious!' I let my voice dripped with sarcasm.

He chuckled & offered his hand. 'I'm Gerard,' he simply said.

I eyed his hand suspiciously. 'That's all? No 'I'm Gerard Fabiola, the god of obviousness' or 'I'm Gerard Martinez, the cosplayer of Usui Taku-'

'I'm Gerard _Walker_, the second prince of Zelawien,' he said, giving an extra minus degree of cold look.

I gaped at him. He smirked.

'You're kidding.'

'Nope!' He said enthusiastically.

'Yes, you are,' I argued.

'No, I'm not.'

'Get out of here! You can't be a prince; Takumi never mentioned to me that he has a brother. Oh, wait...you're not Usui? You said your name was Gerard Walker,' I frowned at him confusedly. 'Then how-'

'Stop giving yourself a brain hemorrhage, Missy. You don't have to go through our family history. It's none of your business,' he said darkly.

'Hey!' I protested. 'Look here, mister. _You're_ the one who suddenly popped out of nowhere & interrupted my afternoon bliss. _You're_the one who started spouting about you being the freaking second prince of this godforsaken land & you expect me to believe that without any questions? For your information, I am a citizen of this country & I have every rights to know what's going on in your royal asses,' I glared a death sentence at him.

I tried to calm down. I never felt so annoyed in my life since Takumi stepped in. At least, I could survive his playfulness & pervertedness. But with this Gerard guy, I think I might end up either in a mental hospital or behind jail bars.

'You talk too much,' he chuckled, ruffling my hair lightly. The nerve of that guy! 'I wonder how he managed to put up with you,' he added in a hush voice.

'What?' I knew in an instant that he was talking about Takumi. Talk about that one particular person & my senses were on its top notch.

'Your boyfriend isn't here,' he said.

'Say what?'

'Your _boyfriend_, Takumi, isn't here,' he said it as if he was explaining to a 3-year-old kid.

'He. Is. Not. My. Boyfriend! God, how many times do I have to tell everyone that he's _not_my boyfriend?!' I blushed beet red.

'You mean… you're not his girlfriend?' He asked incredulously.

'Of course not! Unless your brain interpreted it otherwise!' I yelled.

'Eh? Really? Tsk, Takumi is so slow...' he mumbled. He looked dramatically stressed.

'You know what? Shut up!'

'Well, whatever. Anyway, as I was saying, he's not here. He's on a business trip since four days ago. Be back tomorrow evening,' he said.

Oh. I see. That explained pretty much everything. I thought he just disappeared on me after stealing my first kiss. [Okay, not really stealing since I gave it up on my own but still, he's partly responsible for the lost of my virgin lips, right?]

The information somehow lifted me up but I wasn't going to show it. 'I don't give a damn to whatever he's up to. I got my own life,' I said stubbornly, crossing my arms on my chest. [I am such a tsundere!]

'Hmm, I thought you wanna know...' he mumbled.

'No, I don't want _or_need to know,' I paused. 'But thanks, anyway,' I uttered almost incoherently.

Gerard said nothing & sat beside me. _Too close!_Sparks of electric energy made my hair stood on end, like we were never meant to be close to each other.

I scooted as far away as the bench would allow. He looked at me & raised an eyebrow.

'We might end up bursting into flames if we sat close together,' I warned.

He laughed, 'that's a possibility-' he cut short as he gasped almost inaudibly. He stared at me, like he wanted to burn holes to my body.

Suddenly, his eyes widened & glittered like diamonds. He looked psychotically creepy! I leaned away from him, watching him cautiously.

'W-what?' I demanded in a shaky voice. He might just grab my neck & strangle the life out of me for all I know.

Gerard pointed on my lap, where a bowl of innocent bunny apples sat. His eyes still sparkling like Christmas lights, 'is that...bunny apples?'

I looked down on the half-empty bowl then back to him. He looked like he was dying to have a taste of the apples. His face was turning to cute cherub as he silently pleading the bowl of apples to jump on his own lap.

Out of sheer pity, I gave it to him. 'Here, you can have it. I'm afraid you'll start throwing a fit if you can't have a taste of it.'

'Thank you! Oh, you're so kind!' He squealed. Yep, literally squealed like a hard-core fan girl.

I watched him incredulously as he devoured the poor bunny apples. How can the cold, menacing guy earlier turned to the stupid, apple-loving idiot beside me now in such a lightning-speed transition?

Who are you, Gerard Walker?

**:::**

**09/30/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Minna-san! Genki desu ka?

Hai, my last update for the month of September. So happy I finally finished this before I go to cosplay mania later :)

Everyone in who's living in Manila, let's go meet up at SMX, haha! I'll be Yuuki Cross of Vampire Knight. But with a black, curly hair & school shoes, haha! I was sick so I didn't have time to buy wig & boots XD

Anyway, how's this chapter? A new character is paving his way into the story! I hope he doesn't make my story a complete mess. Be good Gerard, okay?

Uhm, is it possible to realize that you love someone just because he kissed you? Well, in my story, it's possible so...deal with it! LOL

As always, thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting & following. Arigatou gozaimasu! I love you, minna!

Iyaaaah~! I wonder how the story will turn out.

Well, later. Ja~!

**PS: **Now I know what Usui's father's real name is, I'm going to change it in the previous chapter, okay? :)

I named him "Mikage" because I was in the height of "Kamisama Hajimemashita" drug when I wrote that chapter, hehe!


	10. Caffeine and Calcium Over Breakfast

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::****  
****Chapter 10: Caffeine and Calcium Over Breakfast****  
****:::**

_Food...wake up, sleepyhead. We want food!_My senses kept poking me in my sleep.

'Hmm,' I rolled over & as usual, I fell off from my bed. I cursed; what a good way to start a day. I cracked open my bleary eyes & frowned; I couldn't feel my legs.

I sighed tiredly. I was a tangled mess with my blanket. Again.

I began picking myself when I smelled it. The unmistakable, mouthwatering fragrance of my dad's cooking.

I jerked up from the floor. Because I was still half-asleep & the blanket was restraining me, I smashed my own face on the door when I turned around. I thought that thing was open!

'Ow! Damn it,' I muttered, rubbing a sore on my forehead. That did a very good job of waking me up. I growled as I yanked it open & ran downstairs. My loud footsteps resonated through the hard, wooden floor.

I skipped towards the kitchen, smiling widely as I did.

'Good mor-' I was cut short.

My eyes widened & the air hitched in my throat. The person cooking in our kitchen had his back on me but I knew in an instant that he was _not_ my dad. Unless Sakuya dyed his hair blonde & had a major work out to reduce his weight. No, he was _definitely not_my dad.

My heart thundered & realization slapped me square to my face: my parents were actually away on a business trip. They left the country last night for an important convention in some far, far away land with the other officials & today wasn't even Saturday. And the blonde person standing by the stove...

'Oh, shit!' I groaned as silent as I could & buried my face in my palms.

'You know it's not a very nice thing to say so early in the morning, Misa-chan.'

Yup, you guessed it right; it was none other than Prince Takumi. The sore on my forehead suddenly felt so overwhelmingly painful & I wanted to drop senseless on the floor. But unfortunately for me, I got a very stubborn consciousness.

'Takumi, what the hell are you doing in my house?' I sighed exasperatedly.

'Good morning to you, too,' he grinned mischievously. 'That pink pajamas looks so cute on you & I love your morning hairstyle. It really turns me on-'

I snapped my head up, gasping loudly. _Oh, god!_My cheeks burned. I totally forgot that I looked like a complete mess every freaking morning. I made a mad dash back to my room, screaming: 'Takumi, you pervert!'

'Hurry up or I won't save you some food,' he called out after me. I could hear him chuckling which made my face hotter.

I slammed my door shut & locked myself in. I hurried to the bathroom, stifling a scream once I came face to face with my reflection on the mirror.

I looked hideous; my hair was like a fountain of black water spurting out my head, the thin cloth of my pajamas was crumpled & almost see-through! My forehead & cheeks were crimson red. But despite that, my eyes were ridiculously twinkling in delight.

Well, obviously, since the prince was waiting for me downstairs. _My gorgeous prince._My pounding heart reminded me that I am in love with that perverted outer space alien. I wish it wasn't true but hell, it's all goddamn true!

_He's here!_I suppressed a giggle. It had only been five days & I can't believe I missed him so much.

His dazzling face kept on flashing like neon lights in my head as I tried to tame my wild appearance. I splashed some cold water to my face. Not good; that will add more redness on my skin. I combed my hair & tied it to a messy bun, as I usually do whenever I'm inside the house. I brushed my teeth fiercely & put on some fresh clothes.

I slowed down my pace when I reached the dining area. Taking a deep breath as if it was my last, I stepped inside.

The foods were already laid out on the table neatly. It looked & smelled divine; my stomach boiled.

'Wow, that was fast,' Takumi emerged from the kitchen, holding a cup of what smelled like coffee.

As much as I was so happy to see him, I still don't get why he was here. I stood there; partially immobile while watching him carefully set the steaming cup down.

'You're staring,' he said. How the hell did he do that? I mean, he couldn't possibly see me from his bending position & eyes hiding behind those thick, blonde fringes of his.

'I-I am not!' I exclaimed.

'Yes, you are,' he smiled his breathtaking smile as he stood on the opposite side of the table casually.

'No, I'm not,' I blushed. That gave me away.

He smirked, 'yes, you are. End of discussion. Now, be a good girl & sit.' He quickly moved beside me, pulling the chair & gestured with another smile for me to sit.

Right, on a second thought, I didn't miss him at all.

'Hmp,' I grumbled as I plopped down on the chair. He sat down next to me, putting his elbow on the table & resting his head on his hand. A complete calmness & amusement etched on his handsome face.

'Eat,' he ordered softly. He took a plate of omelet rice & shoved it on my plate. He pushed the cup of coffee to me. It was coffee with cream. I made a face at the cup as if its existence offended me. Well, a bit.

'What?' Takumi asked curiously.

'I don't drink coffee,' I said, pushing away the cup with my index finger.

'Why?'

'Let's just say, caffeine & I don't mix pretty well,' I simply put.

He pouted, 'alright then, what do you want? Juice?'

I shook my head.

'Tea?'

I shook my head again.

'Chocolate?'

'No.'

'Uh...' he fumbled to think about another option. His eyebrows furrowed & his lips were pursed adoringly.

I chuckled, 'your brain's bleeding already?' I stood up & I swear my hand acted on its own when I affectionately ruffled his hair.

Takumi blinked twice like he was trying to comprehend something so complex. He gaped at me with his unnerving, saucer-sized emerald eyes. I drew my hand back.

'Uhm, haha!' I nervously laughed. 'Uh, I-I'm going to make my...you s-stay here,' and as if ruffling his hair out of the blue wasn't bad enough, I even had the guts to pat him on the shoulder. I swear to all of the gods out there, I didn't mean it! Well, at least not in my conscious state. But with my sub consciousness...

I escaped to the kitchen & burst out all the air from my lungs. That was pretty stupid. Playing intimate touches with the prince is a very bad-hey, we kissed already!

I groaned as another embarrassing flash back assaulted me. I had to fight the urged to bang my own head on the countertop. What's got into me? My brain went haywire just being in the same room with the prince.

_Okay, stop. Take a deep breath & I try to channel it out of your mind, Misaki. Yes, that's right._Another voice in my head instructed me in a mocking voice.

'Ugh, why do I even have to fall in love with him?!' I muttered angrily as I made my drink; a glass of milk. Sorry, I'm childish that way.

Takumi was still sitting there, his smirk mode activated. I tried to ignore his scrutinizing eyes as he followed my clumsy movement back to my sit.

The stupid pervert stifled a laugh when I set the glass down & the milk spilled because my freaking hands were shaking.

I shot him a sharp glare.

'Sorry,' he bit his lower lip which made him flaming _hot_. That conjured thought turned my face flaming hot, too. In a completely different meaning.

'So...milk,' he said, a grin threatened to spread across his face.

'Yes,' I said coldly. 'Go on, laugh all you want,' I added.

He didn't laugh like I was expecting him to but the wide, amused grin was a strong evident that he find it so funny to see a 16-year-old teenager rejects a cup of caffeine for a glass of children's milk.

I turned my attention back to the foods once I gave him a hard punch on the shoulder & stuck my tongue at him.

'Now I know why you have such strong knuckles,' he teased, rubbing the spot on his shoulder.

I tuned him out & focused on my breakfast. The foods, they were all my favorites & it tasted like my dad's cooking. All tasted so glorious. But that was impossible; he left last night with my mom. They won't be back for another two days.

I looked at the alien beside me, who was watching me with the most entertained expression I've ever seen present on his face. And did I mention that he was getting more & more drop dead gorgeous just by the freaking seconds?

'You cooked all this?' I asked incredulously.

'Uh huh,' he smiled, fluttering his eyes so innocently adorable I wanted to pinch him between my nails right there.

'H-how did you-'

'Your dad taught me yesterday,' he answered my unfinished question.

'Why?'

'Because no one will cook for you since they're going away for a while.'

Wow. Nice. A prince learned the path of gods just to cook these heavenly dishes for me. I am so honored. [No sarcasm intended.]

'I can fend for myself,' I said stiffly. What an ungrateful b*tch. _Prince_Takumi thoughtfully cooked food to fill your empty stomach yet you can't even say a simple 'thank you'? Brilliant, Misaki, very brilliant. [Apply as much sarcasm as you can.]

'With your history in the kitchen, I doubt that you can survive breakfast without sending your house to the flames of hell,' he sneered.

I rolled my eyes. 'I am not that decapitated, you know. I can cook noodles,' I pointed out.

'Liar.'

'What?!'

'According to your mom, you have the ability to burn water.'

A certain memory surfaced. I choked & flushed red.

'So, to cut short your mental discomfort, & possibly to strain the sudden outburst of aggressive fires in the castle, I volunteered to be your exclusive chef while your parents are gone. How's that sound?' He remained resting his head in his palm but he leaned closer to my face.

'Ridiculous,' I answered in a low voice. My thumping heart was getting louder in my ears. There he goes again, messing up with my head & practically with all the organs in my body.

'Hm, why?' The powerful [& seriously _beautiful_] kaleidoscopic color of his eyes matched perfectly with the soft, evilly alluring voice of his. 'Is my cooking not enough? Would you prefer me to serve you breakfast in bed? Or...'

I gulped. My throat went dry as Sahara desert at noon in the middle of summer. Roaring waves of blood came in my ears & my stomach flipped. He was about a few inches from my face.

'...would you want another kind of _service_,' he whispered.

The way he said 'service' actually sent a good trail of goose bumps down my spine & arms.

'Eat first. Then we'll discuss about this 'special service',' he said, a seductive crooked smile on his lips. He brushed a stray lock of my raven hair behind my ear; successfully making my heart ran a 40-meter dash.

I blinked & obeyed robotically, with him watching me.

Then I remembered something from the previous chapter-I mean, previous day. I cleared my mouth with a small gulp of milk. I forced myself to face him without turning into red tomato. No success.

'You didn't tell me you have a brother,' I said in an almost accusing tone.

He looked genuinely surprised & frowned. 'That's because I _don't_have a brother. Why do you ask?'

I glared at my plate. _That stinking liar..._ I thought angrily. _Oh, but come to think of it, he didn't say anything about him being Takumi's brother._

'What is it? Who told you that I have a brother?' Takumi nudged me.

I shook my head, 'no, sorry. I just assumed he was your brother since he looked exactly like your reflection on the mirror with a black wig.'

His frown deepened. Then his face cleared; realization dawned on him.

'Gerard...' he muttered coldly.

'Uh, y-yes. Him,' I stuttered. His usually-warm glow plummeted a few degrees below freezing point.

'When did you meet him?' He demanded. In a dangerously soft way of demanding.

'The other day. In the yard,' I answered truthfully. Takumi looked at me in the eyes for a while then he sighed & ran his fingers through his already-messy blonde locks. Imagine how cool he looked with a shadow partially hiding his sharp eyes. No, sorry, forget what I said. Don't imagine it. It might incinerate your mortal brain, just like mine.

'Gerard's not my brother. He's my cousin.'

'Oh.' That makes sense. But something in his voice told me Takumi was ready to murder Gerard just by spitting his name.

'He got his own way of understanding things. Misaki,' his eyes went smoldering liquid emerald. 'Be careful,' he spoke softly.

I wasn't sure what he meant but his face told me he already closed the Gerard cabinet. 'Whatever you say, your highness,' I shrugged nonchalantly.

But deep inside, I was really boiling with curiosity. Why would he want me to be careful? This is the castle, for Pete's sake, the most secured ground in the entire kingdom. The way he was giving me a seriously worried face, it was like I'm about get in a whole lot of trouble. And it seemed Takumi wasn't at all fond of his cousin.

He smiled. But the troubled expression was still on his face. I eyed him for a moment & went back to finish my breakfast. He resumed his entertainment by watching me.

We threw random conversations until I was done eating.

'Don't forget to drink your milk,' he jeered.

I stomped on his foot.

'Ouch! Oh, don't you have something _nice_to do to welcome your honey home other than stomping on his foot?' He whined childishly, nursing his turning-violet toes.

My left eye twitched. 'Honey?' I slowly turned to him with an award-winning disbelief on my face.

'Yes. Can I call you honey?'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Coz it make me sick to my stomach,' I made a gagging sound to emphasized my point.

'Why?'

'Coz it sounds so cheesy & older couples use that endearment all the time.'

'So, you want something unique. Let's see...how about 'sweetheart'?'

'No.' Then I added, 'and it's not unique either.'

'My angel?'

I rolled my eyes & sighed exasperatedly.

'Darling?'

I shook my head fiercely, 'No. No. And no! Will you stop it already?'

He paused for a second. 'Uh, what about 'baby'?'

'Damn it! Takumi, shut the hell up!' I finally snapped. God, he was annoying as hell.

'Aww, my little kitten is getting feisty now,' he grinned.

I glowered at him, thinking something like, _I am going to kill him._

'Okay, okay. I'll stop...' he turned serious. '_If_you kiss me,' he flashed his eyes temptingly.

My heart pounded so hard I was afraid he might be able to hear it. He leaned closer to me & I couldn't tear my eyes off his. He stopped a few inches from my lips.

'Now what?' He whispered ever so softly, prompting me to close our distance on my own. His warm breath smelled like chocolate with peppermint.

'T-Takumi, I-' I tried pushing him away but my arms were so weak & my hands trembled. My ability to think started to become blurred, sending me to the edge of panic.

'Do you have something to say to me, Misaki?' He continued to stare into my eyes.

I should've say, _go to hell, stupid perverted alien! Come back again in the next pre-cambrian era!_But at that moment, my mother's words were the first to flash neon green in my mind.

_Tell him how you feel with all the confidence you have. If you continue to deny it then one day, you'll be waking up with a sack of regret weighing you down._

Should I tell him? Should I confess my feelings to him? What if he rejects me? What if he doesn't feel anything romantic towards me? What if he just loved to entertain himself by constantly teasing me?

So many questions, so many what-if's and so many possible futures ran in my mind in lightning speed. In short, I was driving myself down the road to an asylum.

I filled my lungs with enough air to last me for a 10-minute diving spree. I have decided.

It's now or never.

'Takumi...' I said in hoarse whisper.

'Hm?' He hummed. My eyes were still held in his captivating emerald ones. His perfect nose was slightly touching mine, making a proud band of goose bumps appear on my arms.

'T-there's something I want to tell you...' _How in the world did our conversation lead to my confessing?_

'And what would that be, my lady?'

'I think I-'

And he kissed me. Soft & gentle, like always. It lasted about an eternity in my clock but in reality, it didn't even last a full five seconds.

Usui Takumi pulled slightly, just enough to let air pass through. Resting his forehead on mine, he whispered, 'I love you.' His eyes burned with sincerity & honesty.

I blinked twice. I should be the one confessing, right?

**:::****  
****10/12/12 OWARI****  
****:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Hello, Sora here! How are you, guys? I hope you're having a fun week unlike mine, which was jammed pack with final exams & a hell load of thesis defenses.

But anyway, I'll live through all these crap because after that, my long-awaited semestral break. Hallelujah! That means I can write more & update faster!

Thank you to all the readers, reviewers, favoriters & followers who always wait patiently for my update. Thank you so much! Sorry for taking so long. I know how you feel, gomenasai m(_ _)m

I hope you like this chapter, please tolerate some mistakes because I'm on my zombie mode, I'm awake for about 19 hours straight complete with a mind-blowing exam, hehe!

I'll see you soon (hopefully)!

[On a side note, I noticed that almost every chapter ends with a question -_-]

**Attn: **sheetal. indi: Hi there! Thank you reading! about your question: wat does "kkkkyyyyaaaa.." means in japanese? Actually, it just a scream. A really, high-pitched girly scream, haha!

To other guests who reviewed, I can't reply to you so I'll just scream it out here, THANK YOU! :D


	11. In The Middle of a Massive Jealousy Fit

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::****  
****Chapter 11: In The Middle of a Massive Jealousy Fit****  
****:::****  
**

I bit my lip; trying to suppress the impossibly painful feeling that was currently bubbling in my chest & stomach.

I wanted to kick myself; I shouldn't have left the castle. I shouldn't have wander around the town aimlessly, looking like a complete foreigner in my own country. I should have been a nice, good girl, stayed in the house & patiently deal with my boredom issues.

But no. I let my itching feet win over my laziness. Well, there was no way around it; I was so bored to death.

And because of that, I now stood here, in the middle of the cobbled road, picking up my shattered heart. Yes, _shattered_ to a million pieces.  
_  
__That stupid perverted prince of aliens! Lying assh*le! Biggest jerk ever created in the universe! How dare he flirt with another girl after he just said 'I love you' to me?! After he kissed me several times already?!_

My mind was screaming with the most profane words I could ever think of. I was so mad my eyes started to tear up. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Everything seemed to be just perfectly fine. Until my jaw dropped. I stopped dead on my tracks as if somebody turned off the switch in my brain that controls my loco motor skill. I watched a couple's PDA-okay, so it wasn't _that_intimate & I'm not sure if you can even call it 'PDA' but still. My eyes turned as big as a saucer plate when I recognized the guy.

Prince Takumi, the stinking bastard.

The girl was clinging onto him like an oversized leech. She got strawberry blonde hair, drool-worthy curves, not to mention her gigantic bosom. Her high-pitched giggle sounded so much like a cat which got its tail overran by a car. A typical b*tch, if you know what I mean.

They sat on a bench a few meters away from where I was, gawking at them like a fish on land. I was hidden from their view but I can clearly see them. Their faces were inches apart & they seemed like whispering to each other, making the girl squeal.

I didn't know I was clenching my jaws so hard until I tasted my own blood. I couldn't think, I couldn't move. I so wanted to flee but I stayed rooted on the place. All I can think about was the pain in my heart that grew intense each passing second.

How did I ever fell in love with this...this...this idiotic harebrained of a prince?! How could I even trust to my hopes that he liked me too? How could I-

'Should I go & beat them up?'

A voice made me jumped out of my skin. I glanced behind me & my anger doubled. There stood the twin face of stupid Takumi.

'Gerard...' I seethed.

'Good afternoon, Misaki,' he smiled.

I never wanted to do anything than to punch him. I didn't know why but I'm quite aware that it was kind of pathetic & unfair to take all my anger on him but hey, my perception of him was like a perfect substitute for a Takumi punching bag.

'Gerard?'

'Yes?' He was still smiling at me, never knowing what's going to hit him.

'Can I punch you?'

'Wha-'

I didn't wait for his reply as I pulled back my right knuckle, earning momentum as much as I could & I hit him square in his gut.

I watched him emotionlessly as he doubled over, clutching his severed stomach, spluttering & coughing.

'Ah, that feels great!' I cracked my knuckles & let out a sharp exhale.

'That certainly didn't feel great on my part,' Gerard groaned.

'Sorry, you're the only one here I can punch,' I smiled at him sheepishly.

'Violent woman,' I heard him mumbled. 'Why don't you take it out on them?' He shot a glare towards the damned couple not far from us. When he appeared behind me, I thought I saw an amused expression on his face but now, as he glared, I'm sure he was cursing Takumi for receiving the punch that was meant for him.

'Don't you think I'll look like a complete moron if I walked up to them, rip that girl's hair & slap the prince?' I raised an eyebrow at him.

He pouted. 'Hm, you got a point,' he rubbed his stomach. I was about to apologize again for hitting him but his eyes suddenly brightened, like it did with the bunny apples. 'Then how about a different approach?' He flashed a mischievous grin that made me shiver.

'What do you mean?' I eyed him suspiciously.

He slammed his hands on either side of my head, forcing me to lie vertically on the street wall. He began leaning closer to me. The thumping of heart accelerated beyond the limited speed.

'W-w-what are you...' I successfully stammered. I tried to push him away but to no avail. The familiar green eyes were smoldering me. I wanted to land another punch on him. This time, I was going to aim his jaw. But my insides were turning jell-o.

He stared into my eyes, trailing down to my lips, like he was going to devour it any second now.

'S-stop it, Gerard. I'm warning you...' I pretended to act tough.

'Sshh, don't worry. I don't plan on tainting my sexy, godly lips with your ungodly, mortal ones,' he smirked.

'Should I be thankful or should I punch you again?' What an egotistical f*cktard! What does he mean by 'ungodly, mortal ones' which, apparently, was his description of my lips.

He chuckled lightly. We were a few inches apart & I could clearly see that he was enjoying this.

'What do you want, Gerard Walker?' I growled.

'I just want to help a damsel in the middle of jealous fit-'

'Excuse me?'

'We both know you're in love with the prince so-'

'Y-you... How did- I am not in love with him!' My face heat up. How the hell did he knew about that?

'Oh, come on! I am not going to convince someone who's denying it with her last breath, okay? We both _knew_it's true, so shut up & let me act as your Cupid,' he said exasperatedly.

I scoffed, 'you mean act like some kind of criminal. Aren't you aware of our current position, Mr. Walker? I can lift my knee up & it can affect your ability to have children in the future,' I threatened.

'No, you wouldn't,' he glared at me coldly. Then he sighed; his breath wafted on my face. It smelled like red wine. 'Alright, how about a deal?'

I narrowed my eyes at him, 'what kind of deal?'

'It's nothing serious, really. Just a little entertainment. Okay, so, do you know that if I lean closer to you, it'll look like I'm kissing you from Takumi's point of view?'

'And what are you trying to imply?' The idea of Takumi seeing us together is already bad [the prince warned me about his cousin, remember?] but seeing us together & _kissing_is like barging on hell's gate.

'If Takumi wrenched me off from you within five seconds, you're going to confess to him,' he smiled like a senile old man. Then he added, 'because, believe it or not, that boy likes you, too. No, sorry. Let me rephrase that, Prince Takumi is in love with a pauper who goes by the name Ayuzawa Misaki,' he poked nose with his index finger.

Of course I wanted to believe him. _I_believe him, actually. How many times did Takumi say he love me? How many times did he kiss me already? But with the lovey-lovey scene from the couple just a few meters away from us, I highly doubted my sense of faith.

'What if he doesn't? What's in it for me?' I whispered.

'Then I'll do whatever you want for three days. Anything, just say it. If you want me to run naked around the kingdom, then so be it,' he smiled naughtily.

'You're pretty damn sure with your deal, huh?' I chuckled & he joined me.

'So, deal?'

I thought for a second & I eventually nodded, 'deal.'

He smirked & dipped down his face on mine. I jerked away from him but I was caged on both sides with his arms. His nose was touching mine & his lips were hovering above my "ungodly, mortal ones". My darn heart was bursting with supernova thumping.

Gerard started counting in a low voice like he was about to detonate a bomb. 'In five... four... three... two-'

A shadow grew over us & poor Gerard Walker went skidding across the street. But despite the sudden attack, he had a clear triumph on his face.

I gulped. I lost. A certain murderous aura was radiating from someone within my 3-foot radius. _I am so dead._I slowly looked up to meet Takumi's eyes, which burned with angry flames as if the fires of hell were burning through his eyes. I was sure he was gritting his teeth behind his tightly closed lips.

He was positively too _mad_to speak.

Gerard smirked as he made his way back to our side of the street. I didn't miss how Takumi glared at him like he was about to summon all evil in the world to annihilate his cousin. Good thing, Gerard was smart enough to keep his distance.

'See, I told yah,' the 2nd prince grinned, much to Takumi's confusion & annoyance. 'Now, don't forget...' he winked at me & crinkled his eyes at Takumi before turning his back on us. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked away leisurely.

'Misaki...'

A shudder ran through my body. I silently prayed before peeking through my eyelashes to look at him. His face was hard & his eyes were still flashing with deathly glint.

'What was that all about? What did he say? Was he kissing you?' He demanded slowly, carefully pronouncing every word.

Blush crept to my face, 'no! It's n-n-nothing!' And in my state of panic mixed with a kick of adrenalin, I bolted away like I'm the world's most wanted.

'Hey!' I heard him through my roaring ears. I looked back & Takumi was running after me.

That afternoon, I unofficially broke some Olympic records. I passed by the bench where he & his little b*tch were showing affection to each other. I didn't see her there, I wonder... No! Stop thinking about that! Right now, that doesn't matter! Just run for your life, Misaki!

'HEY!' Takumi called again. Damn, he was gaining fast.

'WHAT?!' I shouted back.

'Why are you running away?!'

'Because you're chasing me!'

'STOP RUNNING ALREADY!'

'WELL THEN, STOP CHASING ME!'

'MISAKI!'

I turned a corner & I cursed: dead end. Who in their right mind built this stupid wall in the middle of the road?

Takumi appeared at the arching entrance, panting slightly & he was looking like a victim of pink make-up attack.

'You...' he glared at me. I concentrated hard on embedding myself in the wall, begging it to lend me some space to hide in.

Takumi was almost had smoke coming out of his ears whether from anger or from running. Either way, I didn't want to know. Stupid Gerard, stupid Misaki. I shouldn't have that stupid deal. And now I'm facing absolute death by total humiliation.

'...you sure ran fast,' he exhaled sharply.

'I-I drink milk,' I said lamely. And successfully adding to my embarrassment, I might add.

_Wham!_

A sharp wind whipped & I found myself jailed between his arms. His eyes were stingingly bore into mine.

'Did he kiss you?' He said in a soft voice that possessed a deadly amount of venom.

I remained a frozen meat under his gaze.

'I told you to be careful & that means _you_stay away from him.' The way he said it was calm & pure concern but his words sent a high-pitched alarm in my ear.

Would you like to remind me who he was again? Because I don't remember giving him permission to act like he's my father. How _dare_ he order me around? He's the prince, I am quite aware of it but even that royal title has its limitation. He abso-f*cking-lutely had _no_rights to tell me what to do or not do.

My own temper got the best of me. Blood suddenly rushed to my head & I could feel a huge surge of anger coming. I shoved him hard on his chest which surprised him.

'Just who the hell do you think you are?!' I yelled. Oh, that felt good. 'I know you're the prince but that didn't give you any drop of right to tell me what to do!'

'Misaki...'

'Why do you care about what Gerard said? So what if he kissed me? It's none of royal business to mingle with my life, Prince Takumi!'

'Hey-'

'I never asked why you were flirting with that blonde b*tch, did I? I never interrupted your public display of affection with her, right? So stop acting like you're my father! Just go to that girl & spend your pathetic life smooching with her! Forget that I even exist-'

'Hey!'

I flinched from his strong voice. He stared at me with those emerald jewels & I suddenly felt helpless. I wanted to shrink on my knees & cry miserably.

Takumi held me gently by my shoulders & leveled his face on mine. I could tell that he was amused & trying to hold back a wide smile. It ticked a nerve & I was tempted to kick him where the sun doesn't shine.

'Misaki,' he said softly.

'What?' I grumbled stubbornly.

He smiled, 'are you jealous?'

My cheeks heated up like an eternal fire. 'O-o-of course not! W-why would I be jealous?! Arrogant bastard!'

'You know your nose turns red whenever you lie,' he smirked. I could feel he was pulling me towards him now. I tried to resist but his arms were so invitingly warm.

My hand flew to my nose instinctively. He laughed out loud, it sounded like a wind chime. I whimper frustratedly as I glared at him. I wanted to stomp my foot & yelled at him to stop teasing me.

'Aw, my Misa-chan is so cute when she's jealous,' Takumi brushed my cheek with his warm fingers. He engulfed me in his arms & squeezed me.

'S-shut up! I'm not jealous!' I struggled from his embrace.

'Stop lying, Misa-chan,' he sang annoyingly.

'I am not lying! Oh, let go of me, stupid pervert!'

'Nah, I won't. Not until you admit it.'

I dug my nails on either side of his ribs & he jerked. 'You are one hell of a thick-faced guy, you know that?!'

He loosened his grip on me & looked at me straight in the eyes, 'is that a 'yes'?'

'What 'yes'?'

'Do you admit that you're jealous?'

I nearly slapped him upside his head. God, he's so persistent! What does he get if I admit it? Was he going to earn a million?

'Argh! Why did I ever fell in love with you?!' I muttered angrily. Realizing my slip of tongue, I gasped & looked at him with wide eyes.

Prince Takumi's eyes sparkled & he had the most annoying smirk I'd ever seen in my life.

Uh-oh.

I held up my two hands like surrendering & nervously laughed, 'no, that's not what I meant. I-I-I mean... Its n-nothing, I was just-'

'Is there something you want to say to me, Misa-chan?' Takumi taunted seductively. He looked like he was glowing.

I bit my tongue. I shook my head vigorously. I slipped quickly from his grasp & backed away.

'Are you sure?' He asked.

His serious face made me thought for a moment; should I tell him? Should I confess? It was the deal, right? And I was not about to run away from that stupid deal. What if he rejected me? I'm making a fool of myself as my mind race with million possibilities per second.

Before I could open my mouth to speak, Takumi breathed exasperatedly. He stood up straight & smiled me. 'Okay. Maybe next time,' he ruffled my hair. His glow suddenly depleted & he looked a bit disappointed. 'You should go home now, it's getting dark.' He flashed me one wary smile & turned to walk away.

A horrible image appeared in my minds which involved Takumi & the blonde girl. It crushed my heart painfully as my mom's words came slamming on to me like a bullet train. [Let's just say I'm a clairvoyant; I can into the future, haha!]

_If you continue to deny it then one day, you'll be waking up with a sack of regret weighing you down._

In another state of panic, I reached out & yanked his hand. I held my breath as he stared at me curiously.

'Misa-chan...?' He clasped my hand tightly, 'you're so cold. Are you alright? Are you sick?' He put his palm over my forehead but I brushed him away.

'Never mind my temperature, stupid!' I drew a shaky breath & forced my amber eyes to meet his emerald ones.

'Takumi...actually, t-there's something I n-need to tell you,' _stupid teeth, stop chattering!_I added mentally.

The prince smiled, encouraging me to continue. He was still holding my hand which didn't help me calm down.

_This is it, Misaki. If you don't want to see your precious prince in the arms of someone else, better confess to him! It's now or never._

'If you're not yet ready to say it, I'm willing to wait. I don't want you to have a heart attack in front of me,' he chuckled. Somehow, it made me think that this guy knew something. He was about to drop my hand but I gripped on firmly.

'No! I...want to tell you now,' I said, almost pleading.

'Then say it,' Takumi urged gently.

I drew in another tank of oxygen & slowly breathe out. I shall not stutter, was my motto.

'Takumi,' I said so low he leaned a bit closer to hear me.

'Yes?' He whispered back.

'Do you know I hate your existence?'

He answered me with loud guffaws. Once he settled to light chuckles, I continued my rants.

'I hate the way you smile at me. I hate your perverted brain, your idiotic teasing & the times you always find a way to pester me. I hate the way you can make me ride in merry-go-round of emotions without even trying. I hate everything about you.' I closed my eyes & breathe again; _I'm still standing on my feet, good_. 'But you know, I hate myself more because... because despite the fact that I freaking hate you, I still-' I choked as waves of a million different emotions swirled inside me.

Takumi watched me like I'm the most beautiful movie ever produced. He was smiling like an angel, making me want him more.

'Takumi...'

'Hm?' He touched my cheek with his free hand.

I looked into his hypnotic eyes & dropped the bomb, 'I...I love you.'

_Whoooooosh!_

There goes my relief air. I closed my eyes as the heavy feeling in my heart was lifted. Ah, it felt so nice!

Takumi showed off his perfect white teeth as he smiled widely. He hugged me & this time, I didn't protest.

'I already know that.' He kissed my hair, stroking it through his fingers.

'Y-you know?' I asked innocently.

'You're like an open book, Misaki. Even if you don't realize it sooner, everyone can read you as easily as they can read alphabet,' he explained softly.

'Damn it,' I muttered.

He cupped my chin & angled my face to have a better look at my tomato-red cheeks. He rested his forehead on mine & said very slowly, like a sleepy mumble. 'I love you, too.'

My blush doubled. I suddenly felt like I can fly. God, I must be crazy.

'I sort of knew that already,' I countered hesitantly.

'Yes, I did tell you several times,' he kissed the tip of my nose. I'm quite aware that we're in the middle of a public road where anyone might see us & we were closer than the allowed public proximity of individuals. Honestly, I didn't care at all.

'Are you saying the truth?' I asked, though I already knew the answer.

'Of course...' he breathed. Please take note that we're talking with our foreheads sticking together.

For the first time that day, I smiled. All of my 'what if's vanished from my mind. I was so happy I told him. I made a mental note to thank Gerard for setting up the stupid deal. But stupid as it may, it was really, truly worth it.

'So...you're my girlfriend now?' Takumi asked.

An evil plan was forming its way in my brain. I pretended to think.

Then I smirked, 'hmm, I'd like to see how the prince of Zelawien court a girl. Don't think that since I love you, you can easily make me your girlfriend. Men should prove their feelings to the women they love. And please bear in that perverted mind of yours that I am so not going to make this easy for you.'

My gorgeous prince pouted, 'aw, Misa-chan is a little _S_.'

'_S_?' I questioned. What the hell is an _S_?

'Well, that's okay since I'm an _M_,' he grinned.

'Huh?' My frown deepened. Was he speaking in his alien language?

He laughed. 'So naive,' he mumbled. 'But anyway,' he pulled away & stood up straight. 'If you want it the hard way, then...'

Takumi caught my wrists & kissed me faster than I could blink my eyes. It was a strange kiss; full of sincere love yet full of unmasked lust.

He whispered deadly alluring, 'then I'm going all out to make sure you're _mine_.'

**:::****  
****10/19/12 OWARI****  
****:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

MINNA-SAAAAA~N! Genki desu ka? :)

Longest chapter I ever wrote [as of now]. I'm not really good at writing the dialogues but I hope you like it!

Now, before I forgot [again], does anyone of you read the manga "Akagami no Shirayuki Hime" by Akizuki Sorata? Yes, that one. That is where I base the setting of this story; the kingdom, the castle structure, the forests, especially their outfits & other such things. If you don't know that manga [or you don't like to read manga], at least scan through the pictures so you can get the atmosphere of the story.

And also, if you don't know what I mean about "S" & "M", its "Sadist" & "Masochist". Sorry about my twisted sense of humor, haha!

Uh, so...that's all, I think? Please check out the manga :)

Sorry for the mistakes I overlooked. And I hope you didn't get bored in reading this extra long chapter.

For those who always read, reviewed, followed & add HIMTP to their favorites, my million thanks as always. I love you guys!

Ja, let the courting begin!


	12. Round One: The Prince's Melody

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 12: Round One: The Prince's Melody****  
****:::**

Today was supposed to be the arrival of my parents from their official business somewhere here on earth. It was their first travel without me tagging along so naturally, I was so excited to welcome them home. I missed them, the house felt so empty without them. But I'm also a bit nervous since there were tons of things that happened while they were away. Like the confession thing, I'm sure my mom would _die_to know the details; the prince declaring his all-out war/courting on me. I wonder what my dad would say...

I sighed, trying to calm my breathing as I waited for their telltale knock. It was already nine in the morning & my stomach was growling. I couldn't make any breakfast because Takumi had put me under restraining order to stay away from the kitchen. Well, he had a very good reason for that: he didn't want me to be accused of arson in case I accidentally sent the palace into flames, which was a big possibility since the stove hates me.

Anyway, as I casually lounged on the sofa, murdering a bottle of soy milk [the only nonflammable edible present in our house], a soft knock came from the front door.

I jumped off the couch like a ninja & exaggeratedly yanked the door open. I was expecting my parents to be standing there with arms wide open. But my smile faltered & my heart kicked harder as I stared straight at the prince's emerald eyes.

'Good morning, Misaki,' Takumi smiled softly. Before I could say anything, he leaned down & affectionately kissed my cheek. Blood ran hot to my face.

'Uh, g-good morning...I guess,' I blinked confusedly.

Silence shrouded us as we stared at each other until my stomach shamelessly amplified its existence. The prince burst out laughing.

'Shut up! I'm hungry, okay?! I am under the authorization of Prince Takumi that he forbids me to go near the kitchen. And his highness promised me that he will cook for me as compensation. But now I wonder why a world war is starting in my stomach,' I grumbled, stubbornly crossing my arms on my chest.

Takumi laughed more. It was hard to be mad when you hear his musical laughter. He gave me puppy eyes & then pulled me in a comfortable bear hug.

'Aw, I'm sorry, Misa-chan,' he cooed playfully, scratching his fingers under my chin like I'm some kind of a dog. I slapped his hand away. 'Sorry, I got this urgent message from Shikai-san this morning,' he said seriously.

Right, sometimes I forgot that he was the prince; he also got a job to do. Realizing that, I felt a twinge of guilt washed over me.

'Oh. It's-it's okay, I'm not that hungry.' Actually, I'm _really_hungry but I didn't want him feel more obligate to cook for me.

'Not that hungry? Your nose is turning red again,' he teased. I automatically touched my nose. Darn it, why do I have to be so easy to read?

'Are you planning to invite me inside or are we going to make a very hot scene in front of your house?'

'Pervert,' I muttered as I let him in.

He held my hand & dragged me towards the forbidden area.

'What would you like to eat, my lady?'

I shrugged, 'whatever you can manage to scavenge in the pantry.'

'Alright then,' he gave me a smile that was so freaking sweet. He started to whip out the pan & other cooking utensils that looked weird to me. I watched intently as he chopped off some ingredients & he made it danced on the pan. I was so amazed that he could do these things.

While he was busy raiding the cabinets for spices, I guiltily followed my eyes on him. He was the prince, yet I thick-facedly made him cook my breakfast. I thought about his work in the castle; is it hard? What sort of work does he do, anyway? Does he get any help from someone? I wondered all about those things. I guess when you love someone; you'll get worried about them all the time.

'Takumi,' I called softly.

'Hm?' He looked at me. Even though he was trickling with sweat, he was still utterly handsome.

I blushed & fiddled with my fingers; drawing imaginary lines on the counter top just to avert my eyes from him. 'I'm sorry I can't cook my own food. I know you're busy with your royal stuffs & I'm getting in your way. Sorry for troubling you,' I said shyly & hung my head miserably.

Takumi put aside the ladle & walked towards me, 'what are you saying?' He chuckled. 'Cooking for my girlfriend-'

'Girlfriend?' I raised an eyebrow at him.

'Fine then, so _future_ girlfriend,' he smiled crookedly. 'It's nothing, okay? Please don't think that you're getting in my way. _Never_think that you're a hindrance to me & don't worry about the royal stuffs. I'm the prince, I can do whatever I want,' he kissed my forehead lightly & went back in front of the stove.

I let out all the air from lungs & continued to watch my royal chef.

* * *

'How in the world can you cook all these?' I asked incredulously as Takumi laid his masterpieces on the dining table. Just like the first time he cooked for me, it smelled divine & he had a knack for plating artfully. My stomach rumbled.

'It's one of my magical powers exclusively use for my princess,' he winked at me.

I smiled. He can be so extra damn charming whenever he wants to.

'Now for your angry stomach,' he served food on my plate.

'Thanks,' I mumbled as I ate it gleefully.

It was now his turn to watch me. His amused face was adorable.

'Oh, right!' He slammed his palm on the table lightly like he just remembered something. 'My baby needs some milk,' he said with a wide grin.

He was about to stand but I stopped him by his wrist. I shook my head, 'no, I don't think I can take any more lactose.'

'Why?'

I looked at the trash can which was overflowing with bottles of soy milk & cartons of ready-to drink milk. Takumi followed my gaze & chuckled.

He patted my hand that was still clinging on his wrist, 'I'm sorry. If I hadn't been late, you wouldn't have drowned yourself in milk.'

'It's okay, I love drinking milk.'

'More than you love me?'

'Oh, please,' I rolled my eyes. I am so not going to have that conversation with him again. I had enough to last me for a lifetime. 'You said you got an urgent message from Shikai-san. What was that all about?' I asked curiously.

'Ah,' he nodded grimly like he was hesitating to tell me.

I sensed his discomfort & I held up my hands quickly, 'oh! If you don't want tell me, its okay. I-I don't mean to pry in your business.'

'No, no. It's alright. After all, it concerns you,' he said. He was smiling but I could sense the little tension behind that smile.

'Me?' I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

'Your parents are supposed to come home today, aren't they?'

Something struck me. My heart thudded painfully against my ribs. I was starting to dislike the bubbling feeling in my chest now. Worst case scenario rolled in my mind. 'W-what about them?' I managed to whisper.

'We received a message this morning,' he said. His face was hard to read & its sending me to the edge of panic.

'Who wrote it? What did it say?' I looked into his eyes, searching for answers.

'It was from Sakuya-san. He informed us that their arrival will be delayed for a few days because of the bad weather in Zalif* & he wanted us to relay this message to his lovely daughter. Oh, & they specifically requested _me_ to look after you,' he smiled brightly.

The heavy feeling in my chest was instantly lifted. I exhaled sharply & my head felt a lot lighter than usual. 'God, Takumi. I thought they were in trouble or something. Don't ever do that again! You nearly gave me a heart attack,' I shot him a glare.

He chuckled, 'sorry. I can't help it; your anxious face is just too cute.'

I sighed & closed my eyes, 'so that means I'm officially stuck with you?'

'Hey, don't you want to be with me? Ouch, I'm hurt,' he dramatically grimaced.

'No! It's not like that,' I blushed. 'I mean, I-I want to be with you...' I mumbled which he heard anyway as he got a goofy grin on his face. 'But what about your duty? You have other things to do, right? I'll be getting on your wa-OW!'

He pinched my chin hard. 'I told you stop thinking about that. Being a prince is nothing if I'm not with my princess,' he said softly, brushing a spot on my cheek.

Aww, my flirty prince. Wait, speaking of flirty, a certain scene in the town yesterday replayed in my little mind theater.

In a sudden attack of anger & jealousy, I leaned away from his touch. 'Your princess?' I spat. 'Well, now I wonder how many princesses does this prince have,' I poked his chest angrily. I didn't let him open his mouth to speak as I continued my ramblings.

'I saw you yesterday. Who was that blonde girl clinging on to you? Is she one of your princesses too? Do you know how I felt watching you with that despicable girl and-and-and what are you smirking about?!' I snapped.

Takumi's lips widened into a grin. His eyes swirling with enthusiastic lights. 'Ayuzawa Misaki...' he said quietly.

I suppressed a shiver that was threatening to glide down my spine when he spoke my name.

'I only need one princess & she is in front of me, currently eating the food I especially made for her,' he smiled at me. His eyes were so sincere it was hard not to believe him. 'The girl you saw is just one of your boyfriend's fangirls,' he crinkled his eyes in delight.

'Boyfriend?'

'_Future_boyfriend. Misaki, you're going to be mine soon so get used to it,' he said exasperatedly.

'Not too soon, Prince Takumi,' I smirked.

'Ayuzawa is so sly...'

'Get used to it.'

* * *

After my late breakfast, Takumi invited me to "go to the town & let's show them how much we love each other." He earned a bump on his forehead where I smacked him.

Well, of course, he never stopped pestering me until I agreed. But I made it clear that he is to stay out of my 12-inch radius. However, as we were about to leave, heavy rain poured down.

'When the rain stops maybe we can go out,' I suggested softly as I watch the prince's face irritably scrunched up.

'It's not nice to walk on wet roads,' he said sulking as he carelessly slumped on the couch.

'...okay,' I shrugged & plopped down on the other side of the couch.

Silence.

The only sound was the pitter-patter of the rain on our roof.

I noticed Takumi; he was frowning at me. I frowned back.

'What?' We both said at once.

'You're staring at me,' I said at same time he blurted out, 'why are you sitting there?'

'What, you don't want me sitting here? Fine! I'll go sit in the dining-'

'No!' He held my wrist. He looked like cute child on the verge of crying. 'I mean, don't you want to snuggle up on me?' He asked innocently. God, his face was so irresistibly adorable.

'No,' I huffed, looking away. 'Why in the world would I do that?'

'Okay, if you don't want to...then _I'll_ snuggle up on _you_!'

'What the-'

Takumi scooted over to my side like a hyperactive puppy & rested his head on my shoulder. His spiky hair tickled my neck. He caught my hands & guided it to wrap around him. He draped his arm over my stomach, pulling me closer.

I totally looked like a mother with an oversized baby.

He shifted his head, angling it so that his face was buried against my neck.

'Takumi...' I almost whined but I didn't kick him off me.

'Misa-chan smells so nice,' he mumbled. I blushed. 'I can get used to this,' he added, nuzzling his nose against the crook of my neck.

'S-stop Takumi! That tickles!' I giggled. He chuckled & sighed.

We listened quietly to the rhythmic sound of the rain. Occasional autumn wind hummed softly & the curtains of water droplets made the view blurry from the glass windows.

Takumi held my hand & played with it gently; tracing the lines of my palm, kissing the tips of my fingers, intertwining it repeatedly with his; all that sweet gestures that would make anyone go into a hardcore fangirling.

'Misaki,' he said in the softest way possible.

'Hm?'

'Why do you love me?'

'Believe me, Takumi, I've been asking myself the same question every day,' I answered seriously.

He chuckled & went into quiet mode again.

The rain showed no sign of stopping. It continued to rage on while the prince comfortably snuggling on me. We talked about random things but mostly, we enjoyed each other's company in silence.

I felt as if I could fly in happiness. Here I am, with the person I love; cuddling me like he wouldn't let go. This is bliss.

I sighed contentedly & rested my head on top of his; soft blonde locks prickling my cheek pleasantly.

'Misaki,' he said in a low voice.

Whenever he calls me by my name, I knew he was serious about something. Whenever he calls me "Misa-chan!" in that annoying singsong voice of his, I knew he's up to something that will surely make me throw a fit of anger.

'What is it?' I whispered back.

He took a while before answering, as if he was thinking really hard on how to speak out.

Then he said in the same low voice, as clear as a crystal: 'I love you.'

He told me that a million times before but those three little words never fail to send my heart in a 40-meter dash. I felt my face heated up & I was so glad he couldn't look at me.

'Why?' I asked. 'Why do you love me, Prince Takumi?'

In all honesty, I was really curious. How in this godforsaken world did the prince fall in love with me? I am just an average, ordinary girl from a middle-class family. I do not have any drop of royal blood in my veins & there are so many girls out there that are unquestionably prettier than me, more elegant & will match the prince perfectly.

Takumi moved closer to me. 'I love you...because you are you,' he answered softly.

I smiled & nudged his head playfully. But deep inside, I was floating in happiness & contentment.

He resumed playing with my fingers & he started humming a melody.

'What song is that?' I asked casually.

'Small Palm*...' he mumbled almost incoherently. 'Because your palm is so small,' he pecked it.

'Oh.'

We settled back again into silence. The rain continued. About five minutes later, Takumi's melody began to fade & his fingers slowly slipped away from mine.

'Takumi?' I held his hand & shook it lightly. Then I knew from his deep breathing that he fell asleep.

But even in his unconscious state, he stirred & further dug his face on my neck. His arms encircled waist. He sighed & his breathing slowed.

_Now what?_

I tried to shift him so he can lay on the couch. But he was heavy & his limbs were tangled around me. I exhaled & exasperatedly put my head on his. I closed my eyes, listening to the music that was the rain & to the slow, deep breathing of the prince.

I wanted to see his sleeping face but all I could see was his strong line of jaw. I smiled as I bent down to kiss him under his ear. I suppressed a giggle when he moved & mumbled something about soy milk.

But before long, my eyelids became heavy. The cold stone wall of the house made me want to snuggle closer to his warmth that was lulling me to sleep.

I tightened my grip on Takumi & with a yawn; I joined him in our very own dreamland.

**:::****  
****10/23/12 OWARI****  
****:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Haroo, konnichiwa! [Oh, look! I updated again in just a few days. See, I told yah! It's my vacation from hell & I can think, write & update faster :)]

So, how's this ultra-fluffy chapter for an update? Hahaha! So much for TakuXMisa fluffiness.

But we like that, don't we? We crave for super mega cheesiness & fangirling moments, DON'T WE?! We love this kind of overly sweetness scenes, right? RIGHT?! Agree with me, guys!

LOL! Sorry about that sudden outbursts. It's just that...I'm girl. I like those kinds of corny romances & I have no idea how to court. Hahaha! Sorry if the fluffiness made you sick to your stomachs.

Alright! First things first:

* Zalif - is the name that the Kingdom Name Generator gave me for the place where Misaki's parents went to.

* Small Palm - I just translated the song "Chiisana Tenohira" by Aqua Timez. The song just popped in my head because it sort of compliments the scene.

I really _do_hope you like this chapter. Agh, I'm nervous!

But anyway, whether you liked this chapter or not, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the reads, reviews, favorites & follow you put in my email, hehe! I enjoyed reading the reviews from the last chapters. Really, guys, thank you so much!

Please keep on supporting my fluffy works [LOL].

**Attn:** miss nobody: hello! Thanks for dropping by :) You know what? It's from your review that I remembered about the blonde girl! She slipped out of my mind & didn't plan on mentioning her in this chapter. But when I read your comment, I had a face-palm moment there & thought _RIGHT! The booby blonde girl..._

To Magica Ring too! Thank you for reminding me :)

Ah, the readers who remembered. So, in short...you, guys, are the force that made Misaki lean away from Takumi when he touched her & called her "princess".

Hahaha! I hope to see you again in this chapter, ARIGATOU!


	13. Round Two: A Kiss in the Rain

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 13: Round Two: A Kiss in the Rain**

**:::**

'I thought I told you stay away from the kitchen.'

'Gah!' I gasped. I turned around & saw my gorgeous prince casually leaning on the door frame, an expression of disapproval plastered on his face. My heart went _ba-dump, ba-dump_.

'I-I'm just going to boil water,' I mumbled, picking up the metal lid of the kettle that I dropped in surprise.

'Let me do it.'

'It's fine, Takumi. I can do it.'

'But-'

'Geez! I'm just going to boil the damn water; I'm not going to burn the whole place. I can do it perfectly well,' I snapped. He's so overly...I don't know, protective? I mean, he's spoiling me too much.

Takumi sighed & ran his fingers through his tousled hair. He looked mad or at least that was my perception of his deeply furrowed eyebrows.

I had put the kettle on the lighted stove & thankfully, it didn't explode. I slowly walked towards him & leaned on the opposite frame of the door.

We faced each other in silence. He seemed distracted & angry. He couldn't possibly be mad about me boiling a kettle of water, could he?

'What's wrong?' I finally asked. He averted his eyes away from me & shook his head.

'Nothing,' he said in a hard voice. His eyes had a sharp glint of light in them, like he was ready to strike an arrow to whomever cross him. I bit my lip, thinking a way on how to calm him from his inner rage. I'm not used to seeing him like this. I _don't_want to see him like this. It made me miss his mischievous alter ego, which I like a lot better than this cold, angry aura of his.

'Are you sure?' I asked softly.

He gazed back at me with those emerald orbs with longing, like I'm about to disappear in front of his eyes & he cannot do anything. He looked helpless yet mad at the same time.

'Hey...' I nudged his knee with mine. I was starting to get scared with the looks he was giving me.

Then he smiled warily, 'I'm sorry. I just...it's nothing. I'm sorry.' He took both my hands & held it tightly.

'What is it? Come on, you can tell me. Is it a girl problem?' I urged jokingly, squeezing his hands in return.

'Yes,' he chuckled halfheartedly. He looked into my eyes seriously, conveying such strong emotions it made me want to kiss him right there.

'You know what?' He said in a hushed whisper. 'This girl made me fall in love with her so hard it actually hurt physically,' he smiled warmly. I remembered the times I threw random things at him & the times I hit him painfully on his head, in his gut & shins.

Thinking about that made me laugh.

He sighed fondly, 'I love her. Very much.' His cold emerald eyes melted into warm liquid full of sincerity & honesty. I was steaming with hot blush on my face but I yearned to hear more from him.

'I met her in the meadow last summer,' he continued as if telling a story. 'She has these beautiful amber eyes that instantly awe-struck me. Her raven hair makes me want to caress it & hold her. Though I'm the prince & no one dares to insult me, she yelled at me & called me a perverted alien,' he chuckled. I grimaced at the memory.

'That day,' he said, still holding my hands & looking at me. 'I asked her if I could see her again. But she said she got things to do & that it might be the first & last time we'd seen each other. It saddened me, really. I had wished she could've stayed longer with me but she was in a hurry.'

I was amazed Takumi could remember the details of the first time we've met. I honestly forgot about it.

'I thought of her every day, wishing I knew where she lives. I could've stalked her then but I hadn't realized it sooner.

'Then a few days later, I snuck away from my studies & hid on a tree in the garden; thinking about her. Suddenly, my boring world turned so blindingly bright as I saw my angel walk through the garden gates. I nearly fell from the tree, you know,' he chuckled.

My head was spinning & all I could utter was a choking sound. It seemed like my brain was bombarded with so much information & different emotions overloaded my heart. It didn't help that Takumi touched my flaming hot cheek & smiled crookedly.

'She looked gorgeous as ever. I called her but she didn't hear me so I threw a pebble to catch her attention. I didn't mean to but it hit her anyway,' he smiled apologetically.

A tingling sensation pricked the spot above my left ear as if my senses remembered where the pebble hit me that day.

'When I learned that she's going to live in the castle, I felt so happy I could fly. I thought it was the best thing I've ever heard in my life. But it was nothing compared to what she said to me a few days ago.'

'What did she say?' I prompted.

'She said she love me,' he grinned like a madman. 'It's the best feeling ever. Knowing the person you love the most loves you back, it's the best,' he closed his eyes, savoring the "best feeling ever".

Then he pouted & snapped his eyes open, 'but she said I have to prove my love for her.'

'Hm,' I nodded solemnly, swinging our hands together. 'You...really love this girl?' A small smile playing on my lips.

Takumi smoldered me with his eyes. He heaved his back from leaning on the wooden frame & stood straight in front of me. My knees barely held my weight as it buckled & my legs trembled.

'Yes. I love this girl very, very much. More than my own life. More than everything I have. I love her & I can't possibly bring anyone else above her.' His lullaby voice made it so good to be true.

But it's true. He was here in front of me, solid & real. He was here, holding my hands like he would never, ever let me go. He was here, saying his love confessions without any hesitation.

Ah, indeed. The best feeling ever.

I rested my forehead on his chest & felt the rhythmic beating of his heart; calm & steady.

'Lucky girl,' I mumbled.

'I wonder when she will give me her permission to call her _mine_.'

I chuckled, 'when the right time comes, I think?'

'Ayuzawa Misaki...' he cupped my burning face & smiled pleadingly, like he was saying _Oh, come on! I love you & you love me. Why make things complicated?_I giggled. He was so adorable.

'Prince Takumi, you do realize that we sort of act like a couple already, huh?'

'I guess. But-'

The look on his face was meant for the Guinness book of world records when I tiptoed & sealed his lips with a kiss.

'Even that perverted brain of yours can process the meaning of _that_, right?' I gave him the sweetest smile I could muster.

He blinked. Then an extra smug smirk spread across its rightful place on his face. His eyes glittered with different kaleidoscopic colors. Seriously, how in the world could he do that? But then again, he was an alien.

'So sly,' he muttered as he encircled my waist in his arms. He smiled back as I did the same around his neck & pulled him closer.

I closed my eyes, relishing the moment with my newly-acquired boyfriend.

'I was under the impression that you'll make this hard for me. But that wasn't so hard at all,' he said boastfully. 'I thought I would have to kneel down just to get-'

'Are you complaining?' I growled.

'No,' he immediately answered. His face was that of an obedient good dog.

'I'm just playing with you, okay? I wanted to see what're you going to do...turns out you're good at charm speak,' I laughed softly.

'It's not charm speak,' he retorted like it offended him. 'It's the truth.'

'I know, I know...' I buried my face on his chest. 'I love you,' I murmured, ignoring the searing sensation in my face. I want to say it to him. I _need_to say it to him.

'Yeah, I know that, too,' he caressed my hair & I felt him kissed the crown of my head. 'I'll stay by your side. Forever.'

I smiled & pulled away to look at his handsome face, 'promise?' I sounded like a small child even to my own ears. Ew. Love can really twist someone's personality. But I didn't freaking care.

'I _swear_.' He leaned down so dramatically slowly for a much-needed kiss. I cupped his nape & tiptoed to meet his lips.

But a loud whistling sound shook the whole house, cutting the rendezvous of our lips half way. I jolted as if a volt of electricity took a shortcut in my body.

'Holy crap!' I cursed & pushed away from Takumi.

The kettle was shaking like wet dog; boiling-hot water spilling out from the lid & the stove was making an odd sound. Steams came out like angry fogs.

In my panic, I grabbed the kettle's handle with my bare hand, which was a very bad idea since it was sizzling hot.

'OUCH! Shit! Damn it,' I had an epic cussing battle with the kettle as I whisked my throbbing hand violently. The pain brought tears in my eyes.

Takumi calmly turned off the stove. He looked amused & trying hard to suppress the possible outburst of laughter.

'Let me see,' he caught my wrist & examined my burnt hand.

'Ow...' I whimpered as he ran a finger across my palm which started to bloat like I had been cultivating pink balloons to grow there.

'It's blistering!' I stared at it in horror.

'Tsk,' he clicked his tongue. He now looked irritated. 'Whoever told you to grab a burning kettle with bare hands?'

'I-'

'Come here,' he pulled me towards the sink & held it under the the faucet for about 5 minutes. The cool, running water soothed the stupid, stinging pain.

After that, he guided me back towards the counter. He asked for an ointment which he applied to relieve the swelling & he gently wrapped it loosely with gauze.

He looked at me with an expression of _see, I told you I'll boil that damn water for you._

'Next time, you listen to me.'

'Well, I'm-'

He never given me a chance to defend as he bent over & kissed me on my lips.

* * *

Finally, that early afternoon, Takumi's long-awaited walk-in-the-town-with-my-girlfriend mumbo jumbo came. The weather wasn't exactly dry since it was already late fall. The wind carried enough humidity to make me shiver & gray clouds rolled overhead.

We held hands *blush* as we walked together in around the town. As expected, people gawked at us like we were some kind of walking trophy.

Takumi was oblivious. Or maybe he chose to ignore them? While he animatedly talked about cats, I was melting under the gaze of the people. Oh, & did I mention the extra sharp glare of the fan girls?

'Takumi,' I tugged his hand lightly.

'What is it?'

'Maybe this isn't such a good idea,' I whispered.

'What is?'

'Walking right into the middle of a lair full of hungry-looking tigresses!' I spat through my gritted teeth.

He chuckled & tightened his grip on my hand. 'Don't worry, they don't bite.'

'Can't you see the look on their faces? They're ready to pounce on me any minute now & rip my hair off.'

He smirked & as if holding hands in the front of his jealous mob of fan girls wasn't bad enough, he yanked me & kissed my temple.

'What the-' I turned beet red & elbowed his ribs.

'Just ignore them,' he said with finality.

He leisurely walked ahead, dragging me by our interlaced fingers.

I sighed. I had a feeling that I would need a bodyguard the next time I stroll here without Takumi.

We walked around the town; talking, arguing, joking around endlessly until we reached border line between the town & the forest.

We trudged on the narrow dirt path that leads deeper into the forest. It felt nostalgic. I suddenly craved to go to our old house but I pushed it out of my mind. It was impossible to reach it by foot without meeting the dark on the way. Maybe next time.

For the mean time, Takumi & I enjoyed the autumn foliage before winter sets in.

'Come to think of it, how did I make it to my bed last night? I don't remember getting up...' I racked my brain to recall the memory of last night when we both fell asleep on the couch.

'I tried waking you up but you seemed pretty comfortable snuggling up on me so I carried you to your bed,' he wrinkled his eyes as he smiled widely.

Something in that creepy smile struck me with uncomfortable feeling.

I narrowed my eyes at him. 'You didn't try anything funny, did you?' I asked suspiciously.

'Oh, of course I wouldn't!' He smirked seductively. 'It wouldn't be fun to do _it_when you're sleeping, would it? I want to hear you say my name when I-'

I didn't let him finish as I pulled back my good hand & slammed my knuckle hard in his gut. He toppled over the piles of fallen leaves. His words sent my hair standing straight on its end like a cat's fur when terribly angry.

'STUPID, ULTRA PERVERTED PRINCE OF ALIENS!' I yelled as kicked the fallen leaves, burying him alive.

He laughed out loud that the sound resonated through the forest. I was flushed with anger & embarrassment.

'God...' I huffed as he continued his fit of laughter.

'Misa-chan, your face is so priceless!' He giggled.

'Can you Ziploc your mouth, please? Another perverted word from you & I swear I'll bash you up,' I kicked another bunch of maple leaves over him.

He laughed harder while I fumed. Stupid pervert! How does he stomach to say all those perverted stuffs to a girl? No, the real question here is, why did I ever fell in love with him?

'Well, well, well. Look what we have here,' someone said quietly.

I whirled around to the source of the familiar voice coming from the woods.

'Gerard?' I frowned.

The second prince of Zelawien was elegantly straddling a beautiful black horse. I took a step back when the beast whinnied & stomped its hooves.

'Whoa, easy there, boy...' Gerard murmured. He dismounted his ride & grinned goofily at me.

Instantly, Takumi leapt to his feet as fast as lightning. He took my wrist, clasping it too tightly I winced in pain. He stood in front of me, like he was desperately trying to hide me away from Gerard's line of sight.

The cold, sharp glint in Takumi's eyes glowed with deadly glare.

'Gerard...' he seethed in a low voice. He was emitting a freezing, dark aura as if his cousin's very existence triggered the awakening of his evil side.

'Good afternoon, your highness,' Gerard greeted politely. I wasn't sure if he was sincere or he was very good at hiding his sarcasm. He inclined his head to look at me better, 'good afternoon to you, too, Misaki.'

'Uh, yeah...' I nodded uncertainly. Was I supposed to talk to him? Takumi seemed to _loathe_the idea of me talking to Gerard.

'I see the punch was worth it,' he noticed, nodding towards wrist wrapped in Takumi's fingers. Of course, he felt the overly protective atmosphere coming from the prince.

I blushed & glared at him. I just wish he was within my punching perimeter so I could give him another one to shut him up.

'What are you doing here?' Takumi asked calmly yet darkly.

'Oh, nothing. I just gave Panjo a nice, long walk before it gets cold,' he answered nonchalantly, patting the horse.

'Panjo?' I blurted out before I could bite my tongue. I raised an eyebrow; it sounded like a name of a cat instead of a horse.

'Yes,' he smiled cheerily. 'Panjo, meet Misaki, the 1st prince's lovely consort. Misaki, this is Panjo, my very loyal horse. Isn't he beautiful?' He introduced his pet to me like it was a human.

I felt Takumi tensed & his knuckle went white around my wrist. I wanted to whack him in the head & yell at him that it freaking hurts but his stoned face worried me.

He & Gerard exchanged electrically-charged glares. I could feel the building tension between them. What is wrong with these two?

'Ah, I should be going,' Gerard said. He lithely jumped on Panjo & held the reigns. 'Enjoy your lives,' I got the feeling he added mentally, _while you can._He smirked menacingly like he was planning the most evil plan on the planet.

Gerard galloped away on Panjo.

'You can let go of me now, Takumi,' I said calmly, though my wrist was screaming in pain.

He exhaled, like he was holding his breath the whole time. He loosened his grip & his eyes softened.

'I'm sorry. I haven't noticed...' he apologized, realizing how he nearly broke my wrist.

I winced as pine needles attacked & it had turned to a nasty color of sickening purple. Great, my two hands are now decapitated.

'It's okay,' I mumbled. 'What the hell's wrong with you two, anyway?'

'Nothing,' he brushed off my question & paid more attention to my wrist. 'Does it hurt?'

'Of course it hurts!' I snapped.

'I'm so-'

'Damn it, Takumi! I'm not going to die from a bruised wrist so stop worrying about it. Just answer the goddamn question!'

Takumi sighed exasperatedly, 'nothing's wrong with me, though I wouldn't know that with Gerard. But obviously, we're not fond of each other.'

He sat crossed-legged under the tree & gestured me to sit beside him. I compelled.

'Families are supposed to get along, aren't they?' I frowned.

'Apparently, that doesn't apply to us,' he chuckled bitterly.

'Why is that?' I asked curiously.

'Misaki, did you know that I'm not supposed to be the first prince?' He suddenly blurted out. He looked at me, watching my reaction.

I blinked. I stared back at him confusedly. 'You're not?'

'No,' he shook his head.

Suddenly, it dawned on me. Gerard's cold demeanor towards Takumi flashed in my mind. 'You mean, Gerard was supposed to be the first prince. The _crown_prince,' I said slowly.

He smiled & nodded.

That confused me more, 'but why-'

'The current king & queen weren't supposed to be the reigning royalties either.'

I waited for him to continue.

'I already told you about the story of the girl I love,' he pouted. 'Don't you think you had enough stories for today?'

I gave him _the_look.

'Okay, okay!' He held up his hands, laughing softly. 'Why don't you cuddle up on me while I tell you about it?'

'No, I'm good,' I said plainly.

He pursed his lips & fluttered his puppy-dog eyes.

'Are you going to tell me or I'll have to force it out of you?'

He laughed & sighed. He turned to me seriously, 'Gerard's parents, the rightful king & queen...they-' he paused, like the words were choking him.

'They were assassinated in Zalif during their visit for a conference. I don't remember much of it since I was still a kid. But everything fell into chaos & the assassination opened the possibility of war between the two kingdoms.'

'Oh.' Gerard's parents were killed. I felt a prickling sensation in my heart.

'The king's younger brother, my father, stepped up to settle things down. It was his responsibility as the second prince, after all. He had to maintain the country afloat,' he shrugged carelessly. 'And naturally, if the king failed his duty, his closest kin will resume the throne.'

I nodded slowly as the idea sank in my head.

'Gerard wasn't too happy about it. Neither did I,' he mumbled.

I gazed at him. I understand Gerard's part. Who would be happy if someone else takes away his right to be the future king of his country? But why Takumi wasn't too thrilled about it, I don't know.

'Ever since I was young, my parents raised me to be free.'

I rolled my eyes. _Yeah, I can see that,_I wanted to say sarcastically but I kept my mouth shut.

'Our family was happy to support the kingdom behind the scenes but the incident changed our lives. In a matter of minutes after Gerard's parents died,' he clicked his fingers with a loud _snap!_

'You became the first prince,' I concluded.

'Yeah...dethroning Gerard from everything he has been born for,' he said darkly. 'Ever since then, he looked at me as if I'm the one who killed his parents & stripped him off his royal title.'

'But it's not your fault!' I said incredulously.

'Try telling that to him,' he chuckled & ruffled my hair affectionately.

I pouted.

'So, what happened earlier?' I asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

His eyebrows furrowed.

'You seemed mad this morning,' I mumbled. 'Did it involve Gerard?'

'Ah, that. Yeah, it was another argument with him,' he waved his hand dismissively.

'About what?' I looked at him, expecting further elaboration.

He sighed & stared at me fondly. 'I thought you never give a damn in the business of the royal family?' He asked amusedly.

I blushed. 'W-well, maybe before, but...' _Wow, I sounded like an I-want-to-know-everything kind of girlfriend._

'In a meeting earlier, he voiced out that he wants to cut off all friendly ties with Zalif,' he said seriously.

'Huh? Why?'

He gave me an isn't-that-obvious look. '_Zalif,_' he stressed.

'Oh, right,' I grimaced.

'But we can't just simply cut ties with a vital ally because of what happened in the past. Zalif & Zelawien co-exist because of an obligate mutualism. Cutting ties with them would mean suicide,' Takumi pointed out.

'Ah,' I nodded. Of course Gerard would still hold grudge against Zalif; that's given. But to put that grudge above all else, that's just like becoming a villain in movie.

Takumi sighed for the nth time. 'All I want was a nice, easy life. It was never my wish to become the first prince. Sometimes I wonder why God threw me in all this mess,' he laughed without humor.

Then he looked at me. He reached out to touch my cheek. 'Until I found the answer,' he smiled. 'If I were not the prince, how could I meet this pretty girl in front me?'

Blood rushed to my cheeks. Despite that, I managed a small laughter, 'silly! Even if you're not the prince, whether you're a sentry or a slave or wherever planet you came from, I would still love you...' _I should've not said that,_I added to myself.

His goofy grin was blinding as he cupped my cheeks & brushed his nose on mine.

'Zalif & Zelawien are just like me & you, don't you agree?' He said with his eyes closed. 'I can't live without you,' he added sweetly.

'Idiot,' I muttered. But deep inside, I totally agreed with him.

We watched the gray clouds passed the sky in silence. Even after the overloaded information Takumi jammed in my brain, I was still able to relax a little. The falling leaves danced with the cold breeze & the rustling sound it made was calming.

'Misaki, can I have a favor?' He spoke up solemnly, like he was saying his last prayer.

'W-what is it?'

'I want you to stay away from Gerard. I know it sounds crazy but I don't want to see you within his arm's length. Can you do it for me?' He pleaded. His eyes turned irresistibly alluring like he was hypnotizing me.

'I-I don't really have a business with him so I don't see any reason for me to be near him, right? Don't worry, I'm used to your restraining orders,' I said almost robotically; I have to remind myself not to indulge too much in his eyes. I got the feeling that if he pleaded me to undress in front of him with those smoldering eyes, I would do it without hesitation.

'Thanks,' he looked genuinely relieved.

After a million years of staring & mental conversations…

Takumi stretched his arms upwards & yawned. 'Looks like it's going to rain soon,' he grumbled.

I stood up & held out my hand.

He took it & I tried to pulled him up. 'We better go home or-God, you're so heavy!' I groaned as struggled to yank him off the ground.

Takumi laughed & stood. 'Come on, let's go home!' He cheered.

As we walked a little faster to beat the threatening rain, something popped in my mind.

'Hey,' I squeezed the prince's hand.

'Yes?'

'How come Gerard's surname is different from yours? You said your father is the younger _brother_of the former king,' I said.

He pondered for a second, slowing his pace a bit. Then he made a face, 'I don't know the whole story. All I know is that they have different fathers. Their mother married twice in her lifetime. So technically, Gerard is my _half_-cousin,' he explained.

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief; how can one's life be as complicated as quadratic functions?

'Everything you said to me, that's...quite a lot to process,' I said uncertainly. I think my brain's going haywire with all the facts & trivia about the royal family.

Takumi was about say something more when thunder rumbled & heavy rain fell, like hundreds of gallons of water poured directly above our heads, completely dousing us.

We were too shock to move.

Then the prince smiled & asked a very random question: 'what's the best to thing to do when it rains?'

'Don't know! Don't care!' I yelled against the pounding rain. All I wanted was to get dry, sip a hot, steaming mug of milk & go to sleep in my cozy bed.

Takumi yanked me before I could dash towards the castle gates. He held me around my waist & neck, immobilizing me on the spot.

He gracefully bent down, drowning & melting me with a passionate kiss under the rain.

**:::**

**10/27/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

*Drumroll*

TA~DA! A record-breaking chapter! *whips out the Guinness*

Whew, longest chapter I ever written in my life. How was it guys? You better have good reviews for this because I sacrificed reading the "Mark of Athena" to write this!

Hahaha, just joking! Comment whatever you want to say, I always love to read it [whether it's a curse or I-love-this-chapter! kind of review]. But I'm still hoping you like it & the latter part of this chapter is important so I hope you understand it well.

So...we're now officially saying goodbye to the overly fluffiness & cheesiness as the plot moves to its climax. Yes, of course, this story has a twist & turn too. But not too much; just enough to make things more challenging & interesting.

I want you to know that things will get rough from this point forward. A bit of violence, a lot of heart-wrenching scenes & a little bit more of violence.

Wow, that was a bit dramatic, haha!

I love giving out spoilers but don't trust anything I say [hihi!]. I might've mistaken 'violence' for 'violent attack of laughter' or I might say heart-wrenching scenes but I must've been interpreted it wrong. Yeah, things like that, so don't trust me.

To my dear readers, reviewers, followers & favoriters, THANK YOU for the unending support. Sorry for the mistakes I overlooked.

Ja ne~!

**PS:** About 3 to 5 chapters to go & "How I Met the Prince" will end. Let's all wish for a happy ending.

:)


	14. Dreaming Rain

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 14:**** Dreaming Rain**

**:::**

I knew it was a dream. No, a nightmare. I knew the painful images will disappear once I snap my eyes open.

But it was all too real that I can't breathe as if the air became too thick for my lungs to absorb. I can't open my eyes much less _move_to get away from the horrible dream I was having.

_No!_ I shouted. Though I was sure I screamed out all my voice, it sounded so weak.  
_  
__Takumi, _I called out; pleading to the figure a few feet ahead of me.

It was dark, like we were stuck in the middle of a large cardboard box. All I can see was a thin path of light in which I stood & the prince's silhouette that was beginning to fade.

I reached out desperately to catch him. I wanted to run up to him & hug him & never let go but I couldn't move!

_Damn it..._I muttered angrily. My feet didn't feel like obeying my brain.

_Takumi!_I yelled again. I choked in my own sobs.

At last, my voice seemed to extend to his ears. He looked back directly at me. His face was a genuine facade of complete easiness & calmness; impossibly handsome.

_Where are you going?_I demanded. Tears started to pop out of my eyes. I wiped it furiously as I waited for him to answer.

He smiled; the smile that could melt Antarctica's thickest glaciers.

_Don't cry,_he said in the familiar loving voice of his.

_I want to go with you,_I sobbed.

_Nah, you stay here. I'll be back to get you someday._

_No, I want to go with you now. You promised me you won't leave me!_I childishly stomped my foot, which would've been ridiculous under different circumstances. But right now, I don't care. I need Takumi beside me.

_I won't leave you,_ he said but his sad smile said otherwise. _I'll be by your side._

_No, I don't want a figurative speech,_I said stubbornly; tears leisurely pouring out of my eyes.

Takumi held out his hand like he wanted to wipe away those stupid tears that stained my cheeks. But the space was too wide between us.

_I love you, Misaki. Don't ever forget about that..._his voice seemed to fade out. He gave me his sweetest smile & turned his back on me.

My panic drowned me as I watched him walk away from me.

_Don't leave me!_I pleaded desperately.

He walked on.

_Takumi!_I shouted as loud as my vocal cords could handle. It didn't help that my breath was becoming shorter & my throat hurts.

He didn't hear me at all.

_TAKUMI!_I screamed.

And then I woke up with a hard kick on the footrest of my bed.

I sat straight up, panting like I just had a 10-kilometer marathon. I felt cold. My hands & feet were freezing yet I was drenched in sweat.

My heart was pounding hard against my chest & a whimper escaped my lips. Stupid dream.

'Urgh...' I croaked. My throat was killing me like I just swallowed a whole yard of sandpaper.

I also acquired the mother of all headaches. My head felt like there's a heavy construction going on that involved a lot of drillings & poundings.

To top it all up, I was having a slight fever. The crazy downpour yesterday was making me pay a toll.

I fought my clinomaniac tendencies & staggered out of my bed. I would've screamed if it weren't for my throat when I faced a horrible reflection on my bathroom mirror.

I looked like a drug addict with a clown for a father & a witch for a mother. My nose & cheeks were flushed red & some kind of huge bird decided to make a nest on top of my head. My skin was clammy & hot. Despite my tinted face, I was as pale as a sheet of white paper.

'Great,' I muttered as I stared at my ghostly image. Once I won the battle against my hair, I brushed my teeth, hoping it would lessen the pain in my throat. I forced my wobbling limbs out of my pajamas & changed into something warm. Then I went to the kitchen like a zombie.

I stared at the forbidden place motionlessly, wondering what I should do. I sighed & rubbed my temples.

I sat on the dining chair, hugging my knees & resting my throbbing forehead on it.

'_Achoo!_' Just as I thought, I'm coming down with colds. I sat there, spreading virus with every ungraceful _achoo!_At least the sneezing relieved the drilling in my head.

Outside, it started to drizzle. I bet it'll turn to snow in a few days' time. I hope my parents would be home before winter. The thought of being alone in the house during cold season made me shiver.

There was a soft knock coming from the front door.

_Takumi. _My almost-hibernating brain said. That & adrenalin shot through my body like electricity. I jumped off the chair & clattered clumsily towards the door.

I had trouble opening the stupid series of locks on the door but with a frustrated groan & another sneeze, I finally opened it.

The prince stood there with his usual charming smile.

'Good morning,' he greeted. I noticed the droplets of water hanging on the tips of his blonde spikes. His breath came out in a light mist.

The images from my latest nightmare flashed in my mind. It squeezed my heart & the sudden urge to hug him was unbearable.

I let him step inside before I flung my arms around him. He stiffened for a split second, clearly surprised, then he relaxed with a chuckle.

'What, missed me already?' He teased. His arms were already wrapped around me securely.

I hugged him tightly & blinked away the stinging in my eyes. 'Don't leave me,' I mumbled.

I felt his body shuddered as he laughed softly. He pulled away to take a look at my miserable face.

'I'm not going anywhere,' he smiled amusedly like my childish attitude entertained him.

'Promise?'

'I promise, okay? Now stop giving me that look, I might kiss you forever,' he chuckled. 'What's up with you? You're acting weird. Are you sick?' He playfully put his hand over my forehead & his smile faltered.

'You _are_sick.' The way he said it was like declaring the time of my death.

'I'm fine,' I said weakly as I buried my face on his chest & closed my eyes.

'No, you're not,' he said sternly. He pulled me to the couch & forced me lie down. He cupped my blazing cheeks, 'stay here. Don't move. I'll be right back.'

He stood up. Or at least, _tried_to. He toppled down on the couch as I caught a fistful of his clothes & pulled him back.

I looked at him pleadingly, 'no, don't go.'

He sighed, 'I'm going to get you some medicine,' he reasoned out. 'And some food; I'm sure as hell you haven't eaten your breakfast.'

'I'm fine,' I insisted, determined not to let him go.

'Misaki, it's not like I'm going away to Mars. I'm just going to the kitchen,' he laughed as he pried my fingers off his clothes. He leaned down to kiss my forehead, 'I'll be back.'

My eyes followed him until he disappeared through the kitchen door.

The stupid dream kept coming back, pushing me to the edge of insanity. I knew it was just a nightmare but the thought of it was painfully real. I can't imagine my life without Takumi. Cheesy, I know. But that is how I feel. It's just like what he said, "obligate mutualism". One cannot live without the other. I'm a hundred percent sure I don't want to be a coral without my zooxanthellae*.

Few minutes had passed & I was beginning to drift off. Then I saw Takumi through my half closed eyes. He came back with wet cloth.

'How're you feeling?' He sat beside me as he put the wet cloth on my forehead.

'Fine,' I said, though I was anything but fine.

'I can't find anything to cook. All that's left in the pantry were solid foods. Your throat won't take that. No ingredients for porridge or soup. There's no medicine in your first aid kit, too.' He ran his fingers through his hair & sighed.

'It's okay, just stay with me,' I hope he understood the slurred words.

'I think...' he hesitated. 'I think it'll be better for you to come to the castle.'

'No, I'm fine. I just need a little rest.'

'Misaki,' he frowned. 'I hate to leave you but I have an important meeting in less than an hour. I can't stay with you here. I can watch you better if you come with me to the castle.'

Huge wave of guilt washed over me. I snapped my eyes to open & sat up abruptly, making my vision splattered with dancing black spots. 'Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know...I didn't mean to force you to stay here. I'm so sorry! Y-you can go now. Don't worry, I'll be fine-'

Takumi chucked the wet cloth to my face, laughing softly. 'Who told you I'm leaving you here alone in your current state?'

'But-'

He put a chaste kiss on my lips quickly. 'No buts. If you don't want to go to the castle, then I'm staying here with you. I'll just ask Takeru-san to make a few gallons of porridge,' he grinned. 'I'll ask Yumi-san for medi-'

'No, Takumi. You have a meeting,' I almost whined. 'You can't ditch something important like that for me. Trust me, I'll be fine. You can check up on me after you finish your work if you want.' Though I didn't want him out of my sight, I would die of guilt.

'No, I'm staying here.' Imagine how annoying his face when he said that.

'You have work!' I groaned.

'And you're sick. Do you think I could focus in the meeting when I think of you, sick & all alone? No, I'm staying here. Unless...' his quirked his eyebrow knowingly.

'Unless I come with you,' I sighed exasperatedly. The construction workers in my head seemed to double time their work. Takumi wasn't going to make this easy.

He grinned widely, sensing that I couldn't possibly weigh myself against his royal duty.

'_Achoo!_' I sniffed & stared at him helplessly. 'Alright, alright!' I grumbled. He smirked.

I stood to fetch my jacket but I moved faster than necessary & the whole world spun.

Thanks to his fast reflexes, I avoided getting flat on the floor. I held my head with my left hand, trying to stabilize the spinning while I gripped Takumi's arm for support with my other hand.

'Don't move too fast, we're not in a hurry.' He assisted me to sit back on the couch.

'Uh, sorry, my bad.'

'Where's your jacket? I'll get it for you,' he said as if reading my mind.

'It's on my bed,' I replied.

He took less than a minute to go upstairs, retrieved my jacket & went back to the living room.

'Here,' he helped me slipped into it & we left the house.

Takumi had his arms around me protectively as we walked hastily towards his castle. It wasn't raining but ice cold droplets were everywhere; carried by the howling wind.

By the time we reached the palace's door, I was trembling so badly & my teeth were chattering.

The prince practically pushed me inside, kicking the heavy doors as he did & it slammed shut with a deafening _blam!_

He quickly stripped off my damp jacket & threw it aside. It was warm but my body was still shaking & I couldn't speak without biting my own tongue. He pulled me into a bear hug to keep me warm.

'Takumi, what's going on? Why are you slamming the doors?' A short lady with grayish hair appeared at the grand staircase. She had a motherly look on her, especially her bespectacled brown eyes & scolding voice. I would say that she was in her late 40s or early 50s.

'Yumi-san,' Takumi distractedly glanced a fleeting look at the old lady. 'Can you get me some towels please? And the heater, please turn it to maximum. Misaki is-'

'Oh my! You're drenched!' Yumi-san exclaimed horrifiedly to the both of us. As she briskly walked towards us, her face became more & more worried.

'Sayaka, get some towels & a blanket!' She yelled behind her. 'Are you alright, honey?' She turned to me & touched my cold cheeks with her warm palms, ignoring Takumi's tangled arms on me. She wasn't anything like my mom but the sweet tone of her voice made me longed for her.

I nodded weakly.

'She got a fever,' she said.

'Yes, I'm quite aware of that, Yumi-san,' he answered, a little irritably. The mom-stop-messing-my-hair kind of irritable, not the rude one.

Another woman popped out somewhere & came hurriedly to us. She was much younger, maybe just a few years older than me. She got a full load of towels & a blanket in her arms. I presumed she was Sayaka.

Yumi-san took the towels & gave one to Takumi. He reluctantly withdrew his arms while the older woman helped me dried up. Sayaka, bless her, draped the thick blanket over my shoulder.

'T-thank y-you,' I managed to stutter.

'Take her somewhere to rest, Takumi,' Yumi-san ordered. 'I'll go tell Takeru to prepare some hot soup.' She smiled at me & disappeared through a door.

'I'll get some medicine,' Sayaka said.

'Okay, bring them up to my room. Thanks, Saya-chan!' Takumi beamed at her.

'Don't call me Saya-chan!' She sent a demonic glare to him like he wasn't the royal prince she worked for.

Takumi grinned. He turned to me & cupped my cheeks. 'Come on; let's get you to my bed.'

'_Your_bed?' I raised an eyebrow.

'Yes,' he answered plainly.

'Why?'

'Why not?'

'You have a million rooms here. Why can't I just stay in one of them? Why does it have to be your room?'

He shrugged, 'it's comfortable there. Don't you want to be in my room?'

'It's not proper. I mean, I'm just a visitor here. Do you normally offer your bedroom to your visitors?'

'No. I only offer my bed to my _girlfriend_,' he smirked.

I blushed. That was actually the first time it sounded so official.

'Takumi, it's not nice for a girl to sleep on a guy's bed, much less the _prince's_bed,' I said tiredly. I was hoping he would understand what: I meant.

He stared at me, blinking a few time before breaking into a mischievous grin. 'Well, I tell you what,' he leaned closer to my face & whispered: 'I don't give a damn to that crap.'

He scooped me up, bridal style.

'HEY!' I protested.

'You're so light,' he commented.

'Put me down, Takumi!'

'No can do,' he flashed his annoying smile.

I squirmed & twisted but he held on tightly.

'If you don't stay still, we're going to plummet down the stairs,' he warned.

He had a point. We were almost at top of stairs & one slip could send us both to hell.

'Stupid idiot,' I grumbled. I sighed & clung to him instead.

We reached the familiar hallway that led to his bedroom. I had been there once during my first visit in the castle.

'Turn the knob,' he said softly.

'Hn? Oh. You really don't plan to set me on my feet, do you?' I muttered as I pushed the door open.

He smiled sweetly, 'I'm glad we understood each other.'

His room was the same as I remember. The huge four-post bed was piled with pillows & comforters. The windows were closed, unlike in the summer. It was covered in thin moist & occasional drop of rain ran through it. Other than his study table which was filled with assorted papers & books, everything was in neat order.

He was right [of course]; it was cozy in there, like the atmosphere in a quiet library. Though my nose were clogged with colds, I could still smell the faint sweetness of honeysuckle.

Takumi dumped me on the bed, 'see? Comfortable, right?'

'Yeah,' I said gratefully.

He arranged the pillows which wasn't really necessary as I can do it myself but he insisted. Now that I think about it, I never actually won an argument with him. Darn it.

He tucked me under one of his comforters as he sat beside me. The bed was warm & the pillows were soft & it smelled just like Takumi. It miraculously absorbed the pounding in my head.

The prince smiled, caressing my cheek. 'Yumi-san will bring you some food. You should eat it & drink the medicine,' he ordered.

'Yes, your majesty,' I answered obediently.

He looked at me like the way someone would look at a dying puppy.

'I'm not going to die, Takumi. Stop giving me that look,' I said.

He chuckled & pinched my cheek.

'I'll be back when the meeting's over. Rest well, my princess,' he bent down & kissed me.

'Takumi,' I called weakly just as he was about to leave.

He looked back at me with curious eyes.

'T-thank you,' I mumbled.

'I don't accept a simple "thank you", Ayuzawa Misaki. You're paying later,' he smiled wickedly & closed the door.

* * *

Yumi-san & Sayaka brought me the food & the medicine a few minutes after Takumi left.

Yumi-san was very kind & her maternal love was so touching. It seemed that they knew me too well; they kept teasing me, especially about the whole girlfriend/boyfriend thing. I had put a mental note to pinch Takumi later.

Sayaka stayed longer to accompany me as I forced the food down my throat. We talked about this & that. It somehow lifted me up; it felt refreshing [or as refreshing as you can get when you're sick] to talk to someone else other than my parent's & Takumi.

When she left after making sure I drank the medicine, the drug knocked me out. I didn't know how much time had passed but I was awoken by the hard pour of rain outside, making me huddled closer to the pillows.

The door opened. Takumi walked in silently, his handsome face was grim.

'Takumi?' I sat up carefully.

'Misaki...? You're awake.' I thought he was going to say _you're alive_.

'Uh, the rain woke me up,' I frowned.

'How do you feel?' He approached the bed & we sat face-to-face.

'Better. Is the meeting finished?'

He grimaced, 'no. Something came up.'

I could tell that it wasn't so nice. 'What is it?'

He took my hands & stared deep into my eyes. _Oh, this is not good._

'Misaki, I have to leave.'

**:::**

**11/01/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:**  
**

* Zooxanthellae - microorganisms that make corals colorful. Without it, corals will turn white & die. [I had Ecology subject last semester]

Hai, so it's me again. I was planning to update on the 31st but the deadline didn't work; I just finished this 25 minutes after midnight.

Uh... I don't know about this chapter but I hope you like the lame cliffhanger, haha! Whoa, the next chapter's pressuring me with intensity, I hope I can make it just right.

Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting & following! Please continue to support me ^^

Meet me again here, okay? :)

**BEHIND-THE-SCENE**

Chapter 08: Tonight was a Fairytale

[The part where Takumi held out his hand to Misaki for a dance.]

Me: *pokes my sister* what's the best way to ask a girl for a dance?

Sister: Huh? *looks up from the tablet, a bit dazed*

Me: A prince is asking a girl to dance.

Sister: How about: *with matching voice acting* "You! Yes, you! Dance with me, bitch!"

Me: *LOL* I think that would do. Thanks!


	15. Three Hundred Seconds Worth of Hugs

******©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 15: Three Hundred Seconds Worth of Hugs**

**:::**

Have you ever heard of a lunch in bed? Ridiculous, right? Well, as ridiculous as it sound, I have no choice. Since the world spins every time I tried to stand, our gorgeous prince decided to bring my lunch on his bed.

I told him to eat with his parents in the dining hall but he stubbornly wanted to eat with me. But then again, I never won an argument with him. So, we end up having a lunch date in _his bedroom._

He explained to me that there was an emergency in Zalif. I didn't quite understand the details but I perfectly understood the meaning of it: he got to go there & check things out.

He'll be off after lunch with some officials. He said he'll be back by tomorrow at the least, the next day at the most. He also promised me that he'll come back with my parents. I was grateful. I missed parents so much. Thanks to him, I managed to survive four days without them.

It was sweet of him to spend his lunch with me, I guess. We had random talks over our food. Eventually, we led down to his pending journey to Zalif. Despite Takumi's assurance that everything was okay, I couldn't get the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach like something bad is going to happen. Really bad. It didn't help that my recent dream kept flashing like neon bulb in my head.

Thinking about it made me nauseous & the sumptuous food didn't seem appetizing. I'm not a worrywart type of person but this feeling kept me nervous & agitated.

'Are you feeling alright?' Takumi asked.

'Huh? Yeah, I'm alright,' I managed not to quiver.

'You look pale,' he noticed.

I looked at him with poker face. 'I'm sick, in case you forgot.'

He chuckled, 'I'm not used to seeing you as white as a ghost-'

'Don't start on me with that ghost crap of yours,' I glared pointedly at him.

'-I'm used to see your pretty blush,' he continued, grinning ear to ear.

'Shut up,' I mumbled.

'Still have a fever?' He put his palm on my forehead. 'Yep,' he muttered.

'I feel much better,' I said.

'Good,' he smiled. He cleared the empty plates & put away. I was sure I caught him paused momentarily at my half-full plate, scowling but thankfully, he let it pass. He went back to sit on the bed. We faced each other in silence.

'So...you have to leave now?' I started in a low voice.

I didn't know what kind of face I had but he laughed softly like my expression amused him. He scooted closer & enforced a bear hug on me.

'Aw, my Misa-chan is so cute!' He said his annoying [but sweet] singsong voice.

'Takumi...' I whined. He was crushing me so tightly I thought my lunch was coming out.

'Just for five minutes, please?' He murmured. He loosened his death grip & settled into a comfortable, warm hug.

'Fine. Don't think I'm not counting,' I warned him lamely.

He chuckled as he rested his forehead against my shoulder while he locked his arms around my waist. I breathed in his smell like I couldn't get enough of it from the pillows & blankets. I hugged him & gently patted his back.

'You know,' I whispered. 'You're making me feel like you're not coming back.'

He pulled back & looked at me. 'That won't happen. I'll be back so quick you won't have time to miss me,' he grinned.

I allowed a small smile on my lips, disregarding the uncomfortable feeling still bubbling in my stomach.

Takumi brushed my disheveled bangs. His eyes were glowing liquid emerald; making it hard to look away.

A knock came from the door, breaking the trance between us.

Sayaka stepped in. Her eyes widened as she took in our intimate atmosphere & lovely position on the bed. We stared at her, unblinkingly, frozen as a statue. She looked back at us as if asking _am I interrupting something?_

'Saya-chan,' the prince greeted her once we melted back to being human.

Takumi sighed like he knew exactly what she came for. He stayed close to me but withdrew his arms. I did the same & sat there like a very innocent little girl.

All of the sudden, Sayaka's kind image shattered. She turned to Takumi with a demonic glare so intense it could pierce right through a boulder.

'Stop calling me that despicable pet name, Takumi. I'm warning you,' she growled. I stared at her in disbelief. She might look like an angel but she can be a demon if she wants to.

Takumi's shocked face was so adorable I had to suppress the incoming fits of giggle. But then he blinked & broke into a mischievous smirk.

'Oh? Why not? Saya-chan is such a cute name!' He taunted while she cleaned up our lunch tray.

I slapped his arm & shot him a warning look. Sayaka in demon mode is not something you want to mess with.

'What?' He pouted.

'Stop teasing her! You want to her to shred you bits?'

'Uh, okay...so, you want me to tease you instead?' He leveled his face to me & sneered playfully. He was so close I even could count his thick eyelashes.

The heat in my face has got nothing to do with fever. 'Uhm, Sayaka? Are you ready to dice him up? I'll help you.'

She smiled at me widely as Takumi laughed.

'Well, you know what? You better stop flirting with her & start fixing your things if you're planning to arrive in Zalif by dinner.' Sayaka said to him & gave me a teasing smile before exiting.

Takumi stood & gave me a weak smile. I watched him go around the room, collecting stuffs he needed. In a matter of minutes, he was done. I guess that's a guy thing, you know? The lightning-speed packing. That is never a feature for girls.

He went back to sit on the bed. 'Those five minutes isn't finish yet. I still have...' he glanced to the clock, 'about three minutes.'

'What are you talking about?'

He engulfed me again in a gentle hug after putting a stinging kiss under my ear.

'Count to a hundred eighty & I'll go,' he whispered. I let him hug me but I didn't count; that would make me a total idiot. Besides, it'll feel like I'm sending him off to an electric chair or something much worse.

Before his hug could make me too comfortable to let him go, he pulled back. But he did something that would _seriously_ give me a problem about letting him go: he kissed me. Full-force on my lips. Hard & passionately _hot_.

I could hear the roaring blood in my ears; my heart beats like a racing horse & worse of all, my hands found its way to curl around his neck.

That would be the last twenty seconds of his five-minute hugging-spree-with-free-extra-hot-kiss.

As we pulled apart, just enough to inhale some inevitable element, the door burst open & Sayaka in angel mode appeared.

She stopped abruptly like a huge blast had just hit her. This time, her face was screaming with I-definitely-interrupted-something expression. Then it morphed into a mocking smirk.

I gasped in surprised then almost simultaneously, I turned as red as my Christmas socks.

'I thought I told you to stop flirting with her? Are you going to leave now or do I have to kick your ass out of the palace, Prince Takumi? The council's biting my head off to get you downstairs,' Sayaka crossed her arms & stared at him disapprovingly.

'Yes, ma'am!' Takumi stood up & grinned. He took his bag, slinging it behind him.

'I'll just give this boy to the monsters. Be right back & I'll tell you funny stories about him,' Sayaka winked at me as she disappeared again through the door.

'Hey, don't tell her about the flaming Oreo incident! That's...embarrassing,' he mumbled as he blushed.

'Flaming Oreo?' I raised my eyebrow. How do you set an Oreo on fire? Is that even possible? As far as I know, Oreo is nonflammable.

'Nothing! It's nothing,' he held up his hands & shook his head vigorously.

'Oh, I'm going to tell her!' Sayaka's sadistic laughter resonated from the hallway.

'When you say Oreo, it's _the_Oreo, right?' I asked curiously.

'Misa-chan!' He whined. His eyes were pleading me not to ask any more questions. He looked like he was going to melt in embarrassment if I say another Oreo-related word.

'If you don't get your butt out here, I swear I'm going to tell her _all_the humiliating stories there is about you,' his she-demon assistant threatened.

'God, I'm coming!' He said hastily. He was half way to the door when he stopped like he forgot something. Then he sprinted back to the bed & kissed me. 'Don't listen to whatever that evil old hag has to say,' he said.

'I heard that!' A yell came from just outside the door. Takumi's really pushing her buttons.

'Oh, don't worry. I'm sure _flaming Oreo_isn't that interesting,' I smirked as his face turned pink again.

He pouted.

'Are you leaving or what?' I asked.

'Yes, yes, I'm outta here,' he smiled warmly, gave me a small wave & was gone.

I heard a faint _pak!_ just as the door closes, followed by a small _ow_. I smiled to myself & lay back on the bed, burrowing closer to Takumi's pillows.

* * *

As promised, Sayaka came back to tell me stories about the prince. I learned a lot of things about Takumi's childhood. I laughed till my stomach hurts when she told me some funny stories. But in the end, she didn't tell me the flaming Oreo thing. I guess I have to pry it out from him personally.

'You should rest now. You still have a fever. I promised Takumi that when he gets back, you'll be healthy again,' she said, tucking me on the bed like a baby.

I yawned; probably the effect of the medicine was kicking in. 'Thank you, Sayaka.'

She smiled sweetly. With her childlike dark eyes, perfect nose & small stature she could've been a cherub. But I knew better; she can easily turn into a monster once you call her "Saya-chan".

'I'll check up on you later. Sweet dreams, my future princess,' she closed the door behind her.

_Future princess? What the hell?_I thought before slumbering towards my unconsciousness.

* * *

It was almost 3:30 in the afternoon when I woke up with something gnawing in my throat. I grudgingly sat up & thankfully, the world didn't throw me off. I was still burning with fever but not as hot as before. I took the glass of wa-oh, it's now a glass of nothingness.

I badly needed some water. I reluctantly get off the bed, carrying the glass to fetch something to drink in kitchen. I'm pretty sure I could find my way there.

Turns out I was bluffing.

After several minutes of walking & once I started entering rooms which were clearly not the kitchen, I knew I was officially lost. Damn this freaking huge castle!

I stood there in the middle of a long hallway, with an empty glass in hand, racking my brain to find any familiar way. But trying to remember complicated twist & turns with your heavily-drugged head is not easy.

Every hallway looked almost the same; thick red carpet, paintings lining the wall & precious ornaments displayed along. It was eerily quiet, not even the pelting rain could hear. It was like I'm in Dracula's castle. That thought made a cold shiver down my spine.

_Wait a minute._I stopped short. I whirled around behind me: nothing but empty hallway. I turned back & walked hastily to the nearest intersection. Another stretch of hallway from left to right was empty. I tried opening the doors-others were locked but some were open-no one's inside.

_That's odd_, I frowned. This castle was _never_empty. It is impossible to walk down a hallway without bumping into someone; either a guard or a servant [Takumi preferred to call them "housemates", though].

'Where is everybody?' I muttered under my breath. Maybe they're resting? Or taking a nap, perhaps? The weather was kind of reverberating everyone with a sleepy lullaby.

It started to give me the creeps so I decided to go back to Takumi's room. But the problem was: my mental map is shattered. I didn't know how to go back there in this crazy maze of a castle.

I sighed. I have no choice but to try so I set off walking again.

After few random turns, I found myself in the middle of a vast room.

'Wow,' I uttered. My eyes widened at the marble pillars that rose as high as the three-story ceiling on my either sides, making an elegant aisle towards an elevated pomp of the most beautiful pair of chairs I've ever seen in my life.

I realized it was the throne room.

Unlike the rest of the castle flooring, the whole room was covered with dark violet carpet. To my right, beyond the columns of pillars, the thick, velveteen curtain was drawn. I presumed that behind the cloth was a ceiling-to-floor glass window. From there, I could hear the drizzle outside.

This place was used for official council, holding grand ceremonies, to grant audiences*, etc., etc. I shouldn't be here without permission.

I was about to turn around & leave through the open double doors when I heard two people talking quietly.

I looked back & saw a familiar figure talking to someone in the far side of the room. They were walking towards my general direction.

I should've been glad to see another human after wandering around the castle without any sign of life. Instead, I hid behind one of the pillars. But I didn't want Gerard to know I was here.

Yes, that was Gerard, together with a tall, young man that looked like James Bond.

_Stupid!_I scolded myself; I should've run to door, it was just a few meters away.

I could hear their voice clearly now. It sounded like they were talking about royal whatnots.

Maybe I can make it to the door without them noticing me? They're seemed pretty deep in their discussion.

_That's it. I'm going out. They will not notice me._I convinced myself. I took a deep breath & got ready for some serious marathon.

'So, what's the latest news in Zalif? Is the prince arriving soon?' Gerard asked in a low serious voice that meant business.

I froze.

I know it's bad to eavesdrop & I'm absolutely not an eavesdropper but hey, it was Takumi they were talking about. I dare you not to listen when your boyfriend is the trending topic of some suspicious guys. I pressed my back on the cold pillar, unconsciously clutching the glass tightly.

'Ah, yes, sir. The prince is on his way there,' said other guy.

'Are the plans ready?'

'Yes, your highness. Everything is planned out perfectly,' the James Bond dude said.

I scowled; what the hell are they talking about? What plans? Does it have to do anything with Takumi?

'Very well. It better _work_perfectly. I don't want any flaws,' Gerard said calmly but I could hear an ominous threat under it.

'Of course, Gerard-sama. We have the best planner when it comes to ambush.'

What? Ambush? My heart dropped to my stomach. What do they mean? Are they talking about _ambushing the prince_? My mind was working like a super cyclone I didn't know what to think first.

'Good, because I don't want to see him alive,' Gerard said menacingly.

'I-' James Bond started to say when a deafening _ping!_resonated throughout the throne room, followed by a shattering sound like a glass breaking.

I gasped audibly; I hadn't realized the glass slipped from my shaking hands.

I imagined the two guy froze as I held my breath, pushing my back against the pillar as if it would magically swallowed me & hide me before...

I _really_should've run out when I had the chance. I groaned mentally. I contemplated to make a dash for it when James Bond dude spoke again.

'Should I take care of it, Gerard-sama?' He asked calmly like he was just asking Gerard if he wants an extra teaspoon of sugar in his coffee.

'No, I'll handle this one. You may go now,' the second prince said in a same calm but wicked voice.

_Huh, he sounded like a villain in a fairytale story,_ I thought. Then I internally kicked myself, _now's not the time to think about that, stupid Misaki! Your boyfriend is about to die & so you are! If Gerard finds out-_

A deathly cold voice sent my hair on end as soon as heard it.

'Didn't your parents ever tell you that eavesdropping is not nice?'

I opened my tightly shut eyes. His handsomely devilish face was inches from mine. He smiled, or more like baring his sharp canine at me.

'Gerard...' was all I managed to utter.

**:::**

**11/04/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

* definition came from my best friend: Wikipedia.

Hi, guys! What's up? It's me again :)

Thank you for all the reviews last chapter, I enjoyed reading them. Sorry for giving you a heart attack there, hahaha! Don't worry, it's just the beginning. There will be more in the following chapters, *evil laughter*.

But before you go on rampage about the future heart breaking scenes, I would like to remind you the genre of this story. Do I need to say more? :D

See you again next chapter, ja~!

**PS:**Today's the first day of school for my second semester, I may not be able to update faster & reply to your reviews & PMs. But I'll try my best to keep you from waiting too long & I hope you continue to support my story :)

Thank you!


	16. Knight in Not-So Shining Armor

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 16: Knight in Not-So Shining Armor**

**:::**

_I am so dead._

I considered bolting to the door. It was just a few meters away from me.

'Well?' Gerard said patiently. Problem # 01: he was caging me in his arms. Good news: he wasn't angry. He didn't look like he wanted to rip my head off. At least, not yet.

_Maybe if I gave him a little hard push, just enough to catch him by surprise...then I'll have to run for the doors like a survivor in a zombie apocalypse & go warn the king. I could make it out here [probably]._ I thought desperately. _Maybe I'll still have time to save Takumi._I forced back the forming lump in throat as I tried to concentrate.

Just as I was about to execute my suicide plan, James Bond did me a favor: he slammed the heavy double doors shut as he left. With a loud click on the other side, I knew it was locked.

_Great,_I cursed mentally.

'Ayuzawa Misaki,' Gerard said slowly like he was thinking where he'd heard my name.

I bit my lip. This guy is dangerous. Heck, he just sent out a troop of army to kill the prince who happens to be his cousin, too. Ah, what a lovely family.

My thoughts were jumbled. I couldn't think straight. I was scared, worried & angry, all at the same time. Questions swam in my head like a hundred synchronized swimmers, only they were not synchronized.

Finally, I found my voice: 'Why?'

'Why what?' He asked back calmly, almost innocently. But I knew better. He withdrew both of his arms & stashed his hands in his pocket. He stood there in front me, completely at ease, like he wasn't about to murder someone.

'Why are you doing this, Gerard? Y-you're going to kill your own cousin!' Do you have any idea how painful it was to speak those words? It felt like acid to my mouth. I fisted my hands, trying to stop them from shaking.

'It's already a long due plan, Misaki. It's about time to do it. I'm not getting any patient here, you know,' he said it like it was not a big deal at all which made me angrier.

'Are you nuts? What long due are you-wait a minute, y-you planned this a long time ago?!' I pointed at him rudely.

He shrugged. 'I should've done it sooner but,' he smiled at me. '_You_came along. I thought you'll be a nice entertainment & a very good piece to my ultimate chess battle.'

'What?' I seethed. What do all these crap have to do with me? Entertainment? Chess piece? You've got to be kidding me. Gerard must've gone insane.

'It's plan B,' he said.

I was too angry to speak as I glared daggers at him.

Gerard started explaining. 'Well, you see, this is a war strategy. You have your original plan, that's plan A. But if things don't work out, you always have to have a plan B which-'

'Don't you start lecturing me about that useless piece of junk!'

He stared at me. I couldn't make out what expression he had; whether curious, angry or amused. I exhaled sharply.

'Stop this craziness, Gerard. You're putting yourself in a very big trouble,' I said exasperatedly.

'Are you concerned about me?'

'No. I'm concerned about Takumi,' I answered automatically.

'Of course,' he chuckled bitterly.

I sighed. 'Gerard, why are you doing this? Stop it already. Takumi is your cousin, no matter what happens. Call off the ambush,' I said, trying to sound soft & persuading.

He turned at me with intense eyes, full of anger & hatred. It was burning in like hell. That startled me & sent my heart racing.

He laughed without humor. 'You keep asking me why I'm doing this. A commoner like you will never understand,' he shook his head remorsefully.

'Then make me understand!' I yelled as the strings of my patience started to snap. My kindly-talk-it-out-of-him approach was ineffective. I have to resort to my usual violence.

But my body wasn't up to it. I was still burning with fever, my throat felt like I just swallowed a whole plant of cactus-roots & all. My limbs were weak & my head was floating. I could've punched his lights out if I weren't suffering from some stupid fever & colds.

'You don't know anything,' he said in a low growl. My guts told me I should be scared but hell, my boyfriend is about to die & I'm stuck with a psychotic murderer, I don't have time to be scared. I breathed deeply, trying to control my emotions.

'You hate Takumi because he gets to be the king someday. You hate him because it was supposed to be you, am I wrong? Your parents were killed in Zalif so you wanted to cut off friendly ties with them but Takumi didn't agree,' I summarized the story behind the royal family in [almost] calm voice. 'Tell me, do I not know anything?'

He was silent for a while. He nodded absently. 'So you knew,' he said. 'Then why're you keep asking me?'

'Because I don't understand why you're making this so complicated! Why can't you be just like a good boy & follow the goddamn rules? Why can't you just accept the fact that Takumi is now the crown prince?!'

'Because I don't want to live behind his shadow. I'm a very ambitious guy, Misaki. And all my life, I've been trained to be the one to sit there,' he pointed to the beautiful golden chair on the elevated pomp; the king's throne.

I had the sudden urge to grab it & shove it down his throat. Damn that stupid chair.

'Please,' I tried again. 'Don't do this.'

He smiled at me, 'oh, don't worry. Takumi will die in that ambush. He's a master swordsman. He can't possibly die in that futile attack.'

I perked up. A small hope sparked in my chest.

'That's why I told you, plan B is essential.'

'God, you're mental!' I smacked a palm on my forehead & looked at the ceiling desperately, like I'm begging God to claim me now. I thought he'd come to his senses but my tiny hope sputtered.

'Oh, come on, Misaki, it wouldn't be fun if your precious Takumi died in a pathetic ambush, would it? Not very heroic. It's much more exciting to see some spilled blood, right?'

My heart thundered & my swallowing became more difficult by tenfold. I was scared & angry & disoriented that my eyes began to moist. I hate crying but at that moment, that was all I can do. I hate it.

Gerard sighed exasperatedly, 'stop giving me that look. I feel bad when someone's started crying.'

'You should...' I grumbled & blinked away pathetic tears.

'Do you want to know my plan B?'

'No.'

The psycho prince told me anyway. 'Takumi will realize what's happening & I'm sure as hell he'll rush back here. My original plan B didn't include you but since you're here, let's make your existence useful,' he smirked.

'What do you mean?' I asked suspiciously, though I have a very faint idea on what's he planning.

'I supposed you already know that the prince had fallen head over heels with you,' he said. Despite the situation, my face heated up. 'You became his vulnerable item; his weak spot. In short, _you're_his slow torment to death.'

'What?' My hands & feet went plummeting down below the freezing point.

'I never had much faith in that ambush. Like I said, it won't be entertaining if the prince died there. It would be more awesome to see him on the verge of bleeding to death in front of our eyes; it'll be dramatic.'

'Dramatic? What are you, theater arts major?' Seriously, this guy is high on some illegal weeds.

'I also want some action,' he said as he unsheathed the sword hanging on the left side of his belt. The sound it made was enough to make me shudder.

The sword glowed with silvery light. It was about an inch wide & less than two-foot long. It looked heavy but Gerard held it with one hand as if its weight was nothing. It was beautiful but deadly.

_He's a master swordsman;_my mind recalled what Gerard had said. Then realization dawned on me like freezing water & boiling hot oil.

He was planning to challenge Takumi in a deadly sword battle.

'The prince is superior when it comes to sword fights. He has the skills, speed & quick thinking. Of course I can fight him,' he boasted, sheathing the sword back. I rolled my eyes; so much for carrying his own chair. 'But it will be more interesting if we add _you_to the battlefield. Ah, I can't wait to see his reaction when I pull out my tramp card.' He stepped close to me & caressed my hair.

I stared at him like he just dropped from the sky. I didn't know someone can be as evil as a demon until Gerard shed his skin. I can't grip on the fact that he was willing to take things to this extent just to become the king. What's so great about being the king, anyway? It's just a pain in the ass. Takumi didn't even want to be the king. But he got no choice; it's the law.

'Say, Misaki, do you love Takumi?' He smiled so icky sweet it made me want to vomit.

'It's none of your business,' I muttered. I was really mad now. If it weren't for my weak limbs, I'd probably cut him to a million pieces with his sword.

'Do you love him like the really-truly kind of love? Or you love him because he's the crown prince?' He asked mischievously.

'Wha-'

Gerard cut me off as he leaned to my face & whispered. 'In that case, why don't you become my queen? Since Takumi will never get to see the next sunrise-'

Something went _pop!_in my ears. Ah, there goes my last string of patience. I pushed him with all the strength I could summon from my muscles but Gerard didn't even budge, much to my annoyance.

My vision became bloody red. How dare he?! How _dare_he question my love for Takumi?! He abso-f*cking-lutely no rights to say those words.

'Whoa. So, it's the really-truly kind of love,' he mumbled. Then he caught my wrists & pinned it on the pillar.

'Urgh,' I gritted my teeth as his nails dug through my skin. He was either oblivious to my burning temperature or he was simply too evil to care. We engaged in an electrically-charged glaring contest.

'Let's make a deal,' he said seductively, flashing his green eyes with devilish glint.

'I don't want your deal,' I replied through my teeth.

'Hey, the last time we had a deal, it turned out quite lovely, right?' He pointed out.

'I don't care. I don't want your dirty deals. Let me go!' I struggled against his metal grip. But he only clasped it tightly.

'Oh, you're gonna love this. Listen, okay?' He shook me a little to make sure he had my attention. 'Maybe I'll spare Takumi,' he paused.

I stopped short & looked at him suspiciously. '_If_you agree to be my queen,' he smirked.

'Maybe if I rip your throat out,' I barked back. That is so absurd. I'd rather be a slave for my next ten lifetimes than to become his queen. I'd rather see them fight in a sword battle than to break off with Takumi.

Takumi always carried his sword with him around his belt but I never seen him use it. In the oddest way, I have faith in him. I just know that, whatever happens, he will whip Gerard's sorry ass. I _know_he will.

Gerard pouted, 'well then, you leave me no choice.' The evil sneer resurfaced, 'I'll give Takumi the most painful & slow torture until he begs me to kill him, right in front of you.'

'You're a monster,' I spat through my clenched teeth.

'That's how things work in a fairytale,' he shrugged. 'There has to be an evil stepmom, or a crazy stepsister, or a witch...or a monster.' His sharp eyes were leveled to mine.

My eyes widened as the word _lust_became the spelling of his eyes. He inched closer. My heart hit against my ribs loudly & painfully.

_He isn't going to kiss me, is he?_I thought panicky. Because I will surely be thrown in jail once I kick him where the sun doesn't shine & he will be the last Walker to ever walk the earth.

'Let me go!' I yelled as I thrashed.

'Just say the magic words,' he taunted, moving even closer.

'In. Your. Face,' I snarled.

'Do you really want to see your boyfriend crumbling to pieces so badly?'

'I like to see _my_boyfriend beat the living shit out of your nutcase!'

Maybe we were too preoccupied snapping at each other to notice the noises outside the thick door. That was, until the door exploded.

Well, not really exploded but it burst open with such force both of us stopped to cringe at the deafening sound. Despite that, Gerard was still clinging on to me like a super evil leech.

'Get your hands off her.'

Time froze.

Everything was still as if bowing to the calm yet commanding voice that came from the battered door.

I felt something stirring inside me like a dormant life beginning to wake. But it was accompanied by a heavy dread feeling. Gerard's plan was slowly making its way to a path of destruction.

I opened my eyes, wanting to focus solely on the certain person I _so_longed to see & hug & kiss. The feeling was so strong I forgot that Gerard was pinning me to the pillar.

Takumi stood there in his glorious knight-in-shining-armor kind of coolness. It has only been a few hours ago since he bid me goodbye but it felt like eternity.

His clothes & cape were damp, obviously from the drizzle outside. His hair was dripping wet. His burning emerald eyes were locked on Gerard's filthy hands curled around my wrist, sending a very clear message to him: don't make me come over there & cut your hands.

Hmm... Or maybe he was saying: let her go or I'll write your last testament for you after I sliced off your hands. Or probably somewhere between the lines of _I'll be honor to pound your existence to dust_, _I'll send your essence back to hell_, or simply, _I'll kill you_. Whatever his eyes were saying, I didn't really want to know.

Gerard would've won a Grammy awards for the triumphant expression he had on his face, 'welcome to bloody fun house, Prince Takumi.'

**:::**

**11/14/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Sorry to inform you, guys but this story ends here.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Not.

Hahaha! Of course not. This is just the beginning of the end. I'm not hanging this off unless I want Gerard to come after me with his glowing sword & turn me into a Sora pretzel! XD

Thank you for all the reads, reviews, favorites & follows. I really appreciate it all :)

Sorry for taking long in updating. You know... this demon from hell known as college is really burning me down & I've been sick [again]. If you find this story a bit OOC, then I'm sorry for that, too XD

Well, let's all do our best in the next chapter. Ja~!


	17. Dance in a Deathly Sword Art

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 17: Dance in a Deathly Sword Art**

**:::**

'Let. Her. Go.'

Takumi's voice was calm but coated with poisonous venom. His eyes flashed dangerously like emerald knives.

'Chillax,' Gerard chuckled. 'I won't hurt her.' Finally, he unclasped his fingers on my wrists & I almost sigh in relief as blood flowed freely in my veins again.

Gerard shook his head amusedly, 'did you like my little surprise in Zalif, my dear cousin?'

'Step away from her,' Takumi ordered, ignoring his stupid question.

'Okay, okay...' Gerard complied, still chuckling. He was holding up his hands like surrendering & stepped away from me. He made his way towards Takumi.

Something about the way he moved tipped me off; the way he eyed Takumi like a he was a sumptuous prey... I knew what would happen once he got near him.

I wanted to scream _NO! _but my voice was caught between my throat as a shiver-down-your-spine sound ripped through the throne room, followed by a loud _clang! _of colliding metals.

I flinched.

It happened too quickly: one second, the psycho was just walking towards the prince, palms up. Then the next second, he had his sword drawn, directly aimed at Takumi. But he managed to block the attack with his own sword.

'As sharp as ever,' Gerard commented. I could see his effort as he added pressure to his weapon against Takumi's.

The first prince merely smirked & risked a quick glance at me. 'Get out of here, Misaki,' he said without a single hint of restrain in his voice.

'But-' I started to protest but Gerard beat me to it.

'Oh, no, she won't.'

Instantly, as if on cue, James Bond reappeared behind me. Seriously, I think he was part Houdini because no one can materialize out of nowhere like that.

'What are you-HEY!' before I could finished, he already grabbed a hold of my upper arms & pushed me until I was kneeling on the soft carpet. He pinned me down as he tied my hands with rough ropes behind me.

_Really now, this is not good,_I thought pathetically. I grimaced as the ropes cut my skin.

Takumi's horrified expression was worth a thousand teases which I added on my to-do list once we get out of this crap. /Assuming/ we survived in one piece.

'Misaki paid for this live show. It is just right to let her watch, is it not?' Gerard winked at me & waved to James Bond dismissively. He magically disappeared again. Wish I could do that, too.

'I did _not_pay for this,' I spat through my teeth.

'Yes, you did. That was the other side of our deal, right?' He smiled sweetly.

I clenched my jaw as I glared through my disheveled bangs. All I could think now was a bunch of cover-your-ears profane insults.

Takumi was no less. He turned his murderous green eyes to Gerard. He looked like he was ready to send him to the gates of hell in shredded bits.

'She got nothing to do with this,' he said.

'She got _everything_to do with this,' Gerard countered with a sneer.

'You have business with _me_, not with her so I suggest you let her go _now_ before _I_tear you apart,' he warned.

'Now, now, that's not a very nice thing to say in front of your girlfriend,' Gerard taunted.

'I'll tell you what nice thing to say, bastard, is' I breathed. 'Get these freaking ropes off me & die already!'

'You really want a bloody show, huh?'

'Yeah, preferably decorated with your mutilated body!' I shot back.

'What if _I_decorated it your boyfriend's-'

'Enough,' Takumi interjected. We both looked at him as he tried to suppress the demonic aura that was beginning to engulf him. 'Where is the king & queen, Gerard? What did you do to them?'

The silence was only disrupted by the light pounding of the rain against the throne room's windows.

I frowned; that's right. Where are they? I hadn't realized that they were missing in action. At a time like this, they should be alerted somehow.

'They will be out of commission from now on,' Gerard had that psychotic grin again.

'Where are they?' Takumi demanded.

'If I told you they're dead, how would you feel?'

Freezing cold water seemed to douse me. _No..._

Takumi gripped his sword until his knuckles went white. He was trying very hard not to lose his cool.

'Don't worry, once I'm done with you, you'll be joining them,' Gerard sneered. 'Then I'll take over the kingdom which is rightfully mine & I'll take your princess as my queen. How's that sound?'

'You're mental,' I muttered under my breath.

Takumi's eyes narrowed to slits like that of a snake. He knew Gerard was provoking him but he was slowly using up all his patience. He glanced at me, his eyes softened a little. He conveyed a message: _are you okay? I'm sorry but please wait for a little bit more while I rip apart my sorry excuse for a cousin_.

Then, just like in movies, swords clashed & metallic sounds filled the room. The adrenalin & anticipation were a hundred times more than watching it through your TV.

I tried to think straight; I need to get my hands free! I tugged, twist & stretched, ignoring the searing pain on my wrists but the rope was too thick & tightly tied. If I try one more time, I'll either break my wrists or turn my skin into raw meat.

'You're weak. You don't deserve to rule over this kingdom. _My_kingdom,' Gerard's growl brought my attention back to /my paid show/.

With their swords crossed, their faces were inches away; identically beautiful yet greatly different.

'You know what I think, Gerard? I think all this shit-' I winced '-happens because of you,' Takumi growled back as pushed him away with a grunt.

I never heard Takumi say any bad words. Ever. Sure he had a perverted mind but he never had a pouty mouth.

'Excuse me? Are you trying to blame me for the death of my parents? In case you forgot, they were killed by the country _you_ called _friend_!' Gerard shouted. He was red in rage & I could almost see angry smokes coming out of his nose.

'I think I know _now_ why your parents died when you were still young...when you were still incapable of ruling the kingdom, 'Takumi said. 'That royal title was passed down to me because you _don't_deserve the honor to rule over Zelawien.'

Gerard scoffed & rolled his eyes, 'and you deserve it?'

'Well, seeing as _I'm_the crown prince,' Takumi shrugged nonchalantly, a winner's smirk played into his lips.

Touché.

Gerard's face went a few shades of red as he seemingly looked like he was trying to pulverize his own set of teeth. The table has been turned; Takumi's taking things over his own hands.

'I never wanted to be the crown prince. Ever since my parents became the king & queen, I've always been asking myself why it all came down to this. I thought it was because I was meant to meet _her_,' I blushed. 'But now... just by looking at you, I already found the ultimate answer.' Takumi said it with distaste.

'Don't get too high & mighty, your majesty. You never wanted it? Good enough, because I will strip off the crown from your dumb head very soon,' Gerard snarled. He gripped his sword expertly & crouched to stance.

'Seeing as how _pathetic_ you are, how twisted your _evil _mind is, I never wanted to defend that crown so badly until now,' Takumi said in a low, serious voice. He took his stance with a fiery determination burning in his eyes.

The air was practically sizzling with electricity between them. My throat suddenly became extra dry. So many possible scenes played in my head. Part of me wanted to stop them & yell: _you idiots! Stop this at once or I'll do the honor of skewering you both with your own swords!_But some part of me knew that they should settle this once & for all. I knew I had no rights to interfere with their hierarchy issues. I just hope for a knock-him-off kind of fighting instead of a kill-blood-and-die fighting.

Gerard snapped first; charging Takumi head-on. The first prince stepped into action, dodging the initial attack & quickly turning around to defend his back from the second attack. Their sword clashed together.

I watched open-mouthed & wide eyes as they continued to lash at each other. They moved so fast if I blink my eyes, I would miss one motion.

They were like dancing; moving to the rhythm of _cling clang _from their swords. A dance choreographed with deathly grace.

I had forgotten my tied hands as I flinched & winced at their missed-by-inches attacks. I bit my tongue to keep me from yelping.

Takumi was, without a doubt, a master swordsman. He wielded his sword with such precision he left me gaping at him, awestricken. He moved smoothly; sidestepping Gerard's sword thrusts & countering an attack in lightning speed. His expression looked like he was thinking a million things at once. His green eyes trailed on his opponent as if calculating his every move.

I'd give it to the psycho dude, too. He was almost as skillful as Takumi. But something was lacking. He moved almost sluggishly & he didn't seem to think on how he will attack. He just kept slashing his sword like angry tornado. Rage & hatred clouded his vision that he forgot to think. All he wanted was blood & destruction.

They were both breathing hard when they pulled apart for a moment. They glared at each other like two male wolves fighting for the alpha position. Well, the situation didn't differ much.

_Takumi..._I thought. My hands were stinging in pain as I tried to wriggle it out of the rope again.

'A power-hungry like you don't deserve to be called a prince,' Takumi said. Was it wrong to say that he still looked so damn gorgeous in his sweat-matted hair & deep scowl on his face?

'You've got to be kidding me! Being the prince means power,' Gerard barked back. 'And I'll show you what power means!'

That & he soared towards Takumi. The poor guy must've loose his cool. He was totally acting like a patient from a maximum security asylum.

_Damn it, rope! Get the hell off my freaking wrist!_I clenched my teeth while I pulled my skin out of my rope bounds.

I looked up again, just in time to see Takumi missed the razor-sharp blade by an inch. He whipped his sword around & a bone-crunching sound made me shudder. Gerard sputtered; coughing up blood.

The hilt of Takumi's sword hit a soft spot on his back.

Gerard rudely spat a clot of blood to the floor & wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He had a piercing glare as he looked at Takumi like he was thinking on how he would want to slice his cousin in half.

He was determined to kill. His eyes craved for bloodshed. He must be as pissed as hell right now.

Then something horrible feeling sparked somewhere within me.

'Stop!' I yelled. But my voice didn't reach them. It was muffled deep under the waters.

And everything went slow motion. My vision tunneled to the scene in front of me: Gerard lunged forward; he was too close & too fast for Takumi to deflect & avoid the assault.

I didn't know how it happened. Though my eyes were wide open, my mind seemed to shut down for a split second.

When I finally managed to get it work again... Gerard had cut clean through Takumi's left shoulder.

Blood sprouted from the wound like an overflowing dam. It dripped down to his arm, gushing like water from an open faucet. My stomach churned but I was too shock to even notice it.

The scene seemed too stuck there forever.

My veins burned with a rush of adrenalin. It was supposed to make me move but in reality, it paralyzed me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't look away. I couldn't even blink.

The two princes looked stunned. Maybe they weren't expecting it, too. Probably Gerard thought Takumi could dodge it.

But then, Gerard recovered first. He was gasping for air but a demonic smirk was crystal clear sign that he won.

Takumi miraculously didn't fall. He held his ground but I could see the strained effort as he winced painfully & heaved for air.

It tore me to see him like that.

Gerard stood there in front of his cousin, savoring his triumph. His beautiful face was distorted with a devil's grin & crazed eyes.

I didn't know what I did but I suddenly found my hands free. I probably wrenched it off out of sheer desperation. My wrists hurt but I paid no attention to it.

Just as I was about to call out to Takumi [though I wasn't sure what I wanted to say], he let out a low, ferocious growl & swung his sword at his distracted mental nutcase of a cousin.

Gerard widened his eyes in surprise before it fluttered close & I saw him dropped to the ground senseless.

I didn't see any sign of blood from him. Takumi had hit him on his pressure point, just enough to knock him out.

Silence was deafening. Even the raindrops were quiet.

The crown prince slowly made his way towards me, dragging his injured shoulder in every step he took.

'Your face looks funny,' he teased weakly as he stood in front of me. Despite the fact that he was bleeding like a sacrificed pig, he had a glorious smile for me.

'T-Takumi...' I stuttered helplessly.

Then, without any warning, he fell down on me. His face slumped on the crook of my neck; his arms lay lifeless on his either side.

It took me a good 60 milliseconds to realize what had happened.

'Takumi!' I snapped into reality.

His blood smeared on my clothes as I carefully moved him to lying position, allowing his head to rest on my lap. I swallowed back a lump in my throat when I saw his pale face. He was still conscious but very fragile.

'Are you okay?' Stupid question, I know. But I was so scared & worried I didn't know what to think anymore. I brushed away his fringe from his sweaty forehead.

I tore off my sweater & put it on his wound, praying that it would somehow help. God, I was shaking so much.

'Misaki...are you alright?' He asked.

'Stupid, I'm not the one who almost got sliced in half! Of course I'm alright!' I snapped.

He chuckled feebly as he lifted his hand to touch my cheek. 'You still have fever,' he commented.

I wanted to punch him; here he was, bleeding to death & he was worrying about my fever. How stupid can he get?

His lips were turning blue & his glazed eyes were slowly closing.

'Don't you dare close your eyes, Takumi!' I warned insanely, gripping a fistful of his bloody clothes. What if he closed his eyes & never opened it again? I don't know what I'll do.

'Don't cry,' he said, wiping my cheek with his thumb affectionately. Whoa, when did I start crying?

'You're going to be okay, I promise. Just please, just-just hang on,' I sobbed.

'I love you,' he whispered; his ice cold hand slid down but I caught it & held it against my cheek again.

'I already know that!' I whined as tears sprouted out of the corners of my eyes. I wiped it furiously. The very first guy that I fell in love with was dying right in my face. I never have been so weak & miserable in my entire life.

'I love you. Don't ever forget that...' his voice started to fade out. The thing that really sent me to the highest level of panic was the overwhelming déjà vu.

'Damn it, Takumi! Don't you die on me now, you stupid pervert!' I was so freaking out I even thought of adding injury on him by giving a solid punch to his gut.

'I'm sorry,' he smiled tiredly.

'No, you're not allowed to say that! Everything's going to be alright. Please, Takumi, you promised me! You said you won't leave me. You're not going to break that promise! I'll-I'll hunt you down even if it's the last thing I do, I swear!' I blubbered on. I was on the edge of nervous breakdown. Damn it all.

'No, I won't leave you. I'll be by your side. Forever...by your side,' he said softly.

And then, his eyelids closed over the beautiful emerald jewels that were his eyes.

'No, no, no! Takumi, wake up! Don't close your eyes,' I shook him. He remained pale & unmoving.

Realization pierced me worse than a thousand blades of swords. Pain worse than Takumi's wound ripped me apart. My chest felt like someone just planted five massive missiles on it. But even before the bombs exploded, I was crumbling inside as the prince lay lifeless on my lap.

I stared at him. Millions things ran wild in my head.

'Takumi...' I sobbed; my tears freefalling. My stomach felt as if it was being rip off my body.

'Don't leave me,' I whispered as I put my forehead against his & let my tears fell on his face.

I didn't know how long I stayed like that, but agitated voices snapped me off my nightmare. I looked up to the entrance; people were bustling in like ants without a path. There were soldiers, guards & servants coming in.

Reinforcements & help came in late. What the hell is this, a movie?

My blurry vision focused on two distinct figures.

'Misaki!'

'Misaki, oh good lord!'

My parents came running towards me & I sobbed harder.

They hovered around me, looking petrified at the sight of Takumi & the dark stains of blood everywhere.

'Are you alright, honey? What happened?' My mom gushed. She was tearing up & sickly worried.

My dad patted my back & shot me a look that must've mean _everything will be okay._I wanted to believe him. He & mom had a silent conversation as he went on with his advisor-of-the-palace mode. After that, he left.

Guards & other officials shouted commands everywhere. Some attended to Gerard while more of them checked up on Takumi, who was still lying unconsciously on my lap.

'He's still breathing. Let's move him to the infirmary & call the doctors! Careful with the shoulder, the wound seems pretty deep,' a man with authoritative aura ordered the people around him.

Everything was in chaos.

And I was having an out-of-the-body experience.

My mom guided me through the bleached hallway of the infirmary somewhere within the castle. I would probably walk straight into a wall or trip over my own feet without her.

The fact that my parents were here hadn't hit me yet. I felt like the world stopped spinning & threw me off then go on without me. Random things, useless craps & completely unrelated events clouded my mind.

I must be going crazy.

The group of medics that took Takumi away to a private room hurriedly disappeared in a corner. I wanted to follow them but a nurse held me captive.

'I'm fine,' I insisted when she refused to let me go.

'Look at your wrists & tell me you're fine,' she scowled. Right, I barely noticed my badly scraped up wrists. Now that I think about it, it actually hurts like shit. I grimaced.

'Misaki, listen to her. We'll go straight to Takumi after she fixed you up, okay? It's going to be alright, just let her do her job,' my mom persuaded softly.

I sighed dejectedly & gave in.

After the nurse had cleaned & bandaged my wounds, which lasted for only a few minutes, she gave me medicine for colds & painkillers. I mumbled my thanks then I & my mom went straight to the private hall.

As we rounded the corner, I almost collapsed in relief when I saw my dad with the king & queen.

They sat on a velveteen couch. I was positively sure that they were waiting for the dark mahogany door in front of them to open.

They looked fine but the queen was visibly shaken. Her beautiful face was contorted in worry & emotional pain. The king mumbled words in her ear & she nodded weakly. My dad sat there, too, tapping his foot like the way he always did when he was nervous.

When they saw us coming, they stood up & the queen enveloped me in a fierce hug.

'You're alright, thank God,' she whispered.

'I'm glad to see you, too, your highness,' I replied.

'I'm sorry. We should've been there,' the king added miserably. He looked like he had aged twenty years older.

'It's not your fault, Yuu. She understands that, don't you, Misaki?' My dad interjected, taking me in an awkward hug.

I nodded & forced my lips to smile. Of course, it wasn't their fault.

'Let's give her a break, shall we? It's hard enough for her to process this whole thing on blazing fever & broken wrists,' my mom said.

'You're right. Why don't you have a sit, Misaki? Takumi's being treated as we speak, don't worry,' the king said. I got the feeling that he said that to comfort himself more than me.

We sat there motionless & quiet as if we were waiting for a bomb to explode in our faces. I could feel the tension from everyone which didn't help me at all.

'...Gerard,' the queen said his name like it drained her energy just by speaking it out loud.

I saw the king squeezed her hand. 'He's alright. He's been taken somewhere to rest & gain his consciousness. The councils will have to...' his voice faded & shook his head.

I can see how much they care about Gerard. And he let them down. _I_ couldn't believe he was capable of doing something so horrible like that, much less _them_, who was his family. I could see the disappointment & devastation he had cause to the kind couple.

_That bastard,_I thought angrily. I wish he had been the one sliced by that blade, not Takumi.

The door creaked open.

The sound was like a voltage of electricity; snapping us out from our inner turmoil.

A middle-aged man in white robes came out. He looked at us one by one with a grim expression.

The queen gripped my hand so tightly. My own mother was holding me by the arms, like she was bracing me for an impact. Their husbands stood frozen & wide-eyed.

Me? Well, my heart & stomach were doing a couple of somersaults & handsprings inside me.

The doctor's face was like he just got out of a torture chamber. Then he shook his head slowly & dropped his gaze.

_No..._

**:::**

**11/24/12 OWARI**

**:::****  
**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

TADA~!

Major OOCness.

I know, I know... they're all out of their characters, right? But I hope you didn't given up on this story because of that, hehe!

This has been one of the most difficult chapters to write & keeping up with their characters was hard. And every time I write the dialogues, I always ended up writing it in Japanese. I have to redo & translate it in English; one of the reasons why I took up much time before updating.

Also, I'm not really good at describing a sword fights, but I hope you get the whole point of it.

Sorry for the mistakes & for the part that confused you ... or something. Please continue to support me despite of my imperfection, LOL!

That's all for this chapter, dudes. Thank you for reading, reviewing, following & favoriting! I appreciated it very much.

I'll try my best to update faster. I know how excruciatingly painful it is to wait for the story to update, especially when the evil author left you dangling on a cliff!

**PS:** Before you unsheathe your swords & slash me to pieces, please wait for the next chapter :)


	18. Biggest Liar Award Goes To

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 18: Biggest Liar Award Goes To...**

**:::**

The doctor might as well said that the sun rises in the west or that the world is actually flat.

Because I didn't believe him.

'...lost great amount of blood...', '...hit vital point...', '...too late...'

I caught the phrases as he blubbered on. But I wasn't listening.

You know the feeling of something unbearably heavy fell on you? Or have you ever experienced being stepped on & you exploded like an overripe tomato? It was nothing compared to what I felt.

If they've given me an option, like: take Gerard's full-blast sword attack & have my shoulder split into two, or stood there in front of the open door, taking a sneak peek at your boyfriend's lifeless body... I would've chosen the first one.

Because the pain of seeing Takumi lying there on the hospital bed, pale & cold, was worse than taking a deadly blow head-on. Worse than any pain I ever experienced before.

I clutched my stomach; a wave of nausea almost gagged me. My mom, whose face was a weird mixture of shock, worry & sadness, hugged me. But I was too weak to hug her back. I was paralyzed to even shed a tear.

The royal couple burst inside the room, ignoring the doctor's explanation. Why do they need an explanation, anyway? He was dead & explaining it will do no good. It will never bring him back...

I saw the queen cried silently over her son. The king looked like he was forcing to swallow a huge lump in his throat.

It was a heart-wrecking moment.

My own parents ushered me inside. The walk took forever though the distance was just less than 5 meters away.

With every step I took, the heaviness in my chest seemed to grow exponentially. My air passage seemed to thicken & my brain was having a hard time processing everything.

It was surreal. The feeling was surreal; I knew it was there, but my heart & mind just wouldn't accept it.

But the moment I stood right next to the bed, it all came crushing down on me like the weight of the whole world was drop on my chest. The pressure shattered me into a million broken pieces. A strangled sob escaped my lips as I tried not to burst out weeping.

_My name is Usui Takumi. What's yours, princess?_

_You smell like strawberry, Misa-chan,_

_I fear of losing you..._

_That's good. Because I love you too._

Stupid. How stupid.

Everything was flashing back like it was mocking me. It tore me apart slowly & painfully. Why did I have to experience those blissful moments only to rip me mercilessly in the end? Why did I have to feel so happy but in a blink of an eye, I was broken like a mirror? Why did I have to meet him only to be left here, miserable & barely hanging on to life?

Tears sprung out my eyes while I bit my lip. I hesitantly reached out my trembling hand to his limp one. I remember how cold it was when he touched my face back in the throne room, but now, it felt somewhat warm.

I intertwined our fingers & I sat on the side of the bed.

_You're a liar,_ I thought bitterly as I stare at his peaceful, handsome face. _You said you won't leave me. Liar._

I was surprised with myself; how could I sit there & think calmly while a bigger part of me wanted to scream & shake Takumi until he open his freaking eyes? Yes, I was _that_ desperate. But I guess I was too tired to shake him & bring him back to life by sheer willpower.

His parents & my parents stood huddled together at the foot of the bed, suppressing loud whims of cry. The queen's face was too much to bear & the cheerful king was no more.

It was silent. They were silently grieving.

_You stupid, perverted alien, look what you've done. Everyone's ruined. Your mother...your father...my parents..._ I drew a quiet breath of air. _Me...what about me, Takumi? What am I going to do now? Tell me what to do because I honestly don't know,_ I didn't bother to wipe my wet cheeks because streaks of tears kept flowing down like endless waterfalls.

Every single moment that I was with Takumi flashed before my eyes & even the sensations were all fresh: the feeling of his casual touches stung my skin; the first time he pressed his lips on my forehead after he came barging in my bedroom at 3 o'clock in the morning just to watch the flowers bloom; the sweet sound of his voice when he said 'I love you' for the first time; the way he looked at me with those smoldering emerald eyes during the last Summer's traditional party; his lips softly ravishing mine the first time he kissed me...

It played in my mind with such clarity it was like watching a high-definition movie.

_Please,_ I shut my eyes tightly as I begged. _Wake up, Takumi. You can't do this to me. You said you love me, right? And I can't let you go without having a chance to say I love you, too! You want to hear me say that, don't you? I'll say it over & over & over again, just please..._ I squeezed his hand, taking another shaky breath as I mentally bent on my knees.

_Don't go somewhere I cannot reach you. Stay with me. Come on, Takumi! I... can't let you go_. My throat hurts so much & my vision was permanently blurry.

Despite all my mental pleads & struggles, he remained still.

'Please,' I croaked out. 'Takumi... wake up,' I said in a very low voice but it sounded loud in the midst of silence.

I leaned closer to him to rest my forehead on his. I knew I had audiences behind me but I didn't give a damn. All I want was to be close to him. Because it might be the last time-no, it _will be_ the last time I could ever come this close to him.

I still held his hand like a lifeline as I put my forehead on his affectionately. My nose bumped onto his perfect one & our lips were barely apart. I shut my eyes tightly, thinking nothing but the pain.

'Takumi,' I whispered to him. 'I-I love you. Very much. I really do.' Tears slid down his cheek as my tears dropped onto his soft skin.

'You promised me you will stay with me forever, didn't you? Are you ditching that promise now?'

I sighed weakly. I didn't have the strength to speak above whisper.

'...I'll have you know that a prince _never_ ditch a promise,' said a very, very familiar voice.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I snapped my eyes open & I gasped loudly. I was staring right into the most beautiful emerald eyes I've ever seen.

The clock seemed to have stop ticking. Takumi's smile was slowly lifting the corners of his lips. His eyes glittered like stars.

I pulled away from him abruptly & sat straight on his bed. I dropped his hand like it electrified me.

I gaped at him, eyes as big as a saucer.

'Y-you...' I stuttered.

He was glowing, like _really_ glowing. He beamed at my dumbfounded expression with mischief in his eyes, like he never bled to death.

'I love you too, you know,' he said, loud & clear.

'H-how-' I blinked. I was so confused I didn't know how to react. Behind me there was...

I whipped my head around, only to find our parents grinning like some idiotic teenagers.

The queen's angst face was replaced by blinding smile along with her husband. My parents high-fived quietly.

_What the hell's going on?_ I looked back & forth to them & Takumi. They started snickering like three-year-olds.

Then realization sank in, bright as sunlight.

_No, he didn't..._

Fresh rage coursed through my veins & I sent a demonic glare to the prince. Instead of tears of joy, I could see red through my eyes. Blood red.

I sharply yanked my hand off from his hand. My near-dead heart restarted with maddening anger.

'You...' I accused. My breathing became ragged as I tried to keep my fingers from curling around his neck & strangle him.

He smiled innocently like he didn't cause me emotional stress at all.

That's it.

I took a steady breath and-

'TAKUMI, YOU STUPID JERK!' I screeched as I whacked him upside the head.

'OW!' He yelped. _Ha! Take that, you bastard!_ I thought sadistically.

'Hey!'

'Misaki!'

'Calm down!'

'Stop, stop!'

Everyone in the room moved simultaneously; my dad restrained my arms from inflicting further injury to Takumi; the queen & my mom tried to calm me down but I was so mad I wanted to kill that perverted alien with my own hands. I struggled under my dad's iron grip. The king doubled over laughing along with his supposedly-dead son.

'I hate you! I hate you!' I thrashed. 'Go die for real, stupid perverted alien!'

Here I was, bawling my eyes over a stupid fake death while they set me up as a tragic drama movie & had a good laugh about it. Good thing I kept some thoughts in my head or else I would live the rest of my life without dignity. All the flashbacks & sentimental moments were utterly useless. God, that was so humiliating!

Adrenalin left me & I slumped down on the bed with deep scowl.

'Why did you do that?' I asked weakly with a small punch on his leg beside me.

The bell peel sound of his laughter was glorious. Finally, it was registering in my brain that he was alive. The relief was so overwhelming it almost threw me off the ground. But I'm still mad.

'I'm sorry. The last time I saw your face was just priceless & I had to tease you,' Takumi said.

'You should've seen the look on your face when the doctor came out,' my mom said. 'You could have won an Oscar award!'

The guys laughed much to my embarrassment.

'You're going to pay for this, Takumi, I swear, you will,' I narrowed my eyes to him. 'Oh, & speaking of that doctor, where the hell is he? I'm going to give him a nice kick in the gut for playing with your childish game.'

'Yeah, a childish game. But you fell for it hard,' he pointed out with a sneer.

'Of course! I was going out of my mind out there while you still have the nerve to play tricks on me!' I snapped.

'Ah, Misa-chan, is so cute! I want to hear you say 'I love you' again,' his annoying singsong voice was begging me to kill him for good.

'Shut up!'

'Come on, say that again,' he whined, pulling me to his face.

'I'll never ever say that again!' I said, shrugging his creeping arm off my shoulder.

'Please?'

'No!'

'Ahem,' someone purposefully cleared his throat.

We abruptly stop our childish war & I looked back. Our parents were watching us amusedly.

My dad's eyes jumped between us with suspicion, 'is there something you want to share with us?'

'Or more like _confirm_ to us,' the king said. He shared the same annoying smirk with my dad.

'Uh...' I blushed beet red. My mom smiled knowingly.

'Guess what? Misa-chan loves me so much!' Takumi blurted out with too much enthusiasm for someone who was just recovering from a sword attack.

'Wha-Takumi!' I groaned. I gave him my best if-you-don't-want-to-die-for-real-then-shut-the-hell-up look.

'We figured it out that much,' my dad waved his hand dismissively. 'What I mean is, is it official?'

'Dad!'

'What? I'm just asking,' he replied incredulously.

'Misaki made it official,' Takumi said excitedly.

'Whuah! I-no, it's not that-I mean-' words came rolling out my tongue as my face turned hot. Argh, how much more humiliation they wanted to inflict on me?! These people just kept on burying me under layers after layers of embarrassment.

'Really?' The queen perked up. 'When was that? Why didn't you tell us?'

'Just a few days back,' Takumi answered like the question was as simple as 'have you eaten your dinner?'

'Oh, that's good!'

'Congratulations, my boy!'

'So what are-'

'HOLD IT!' I held up my palms to stop them before they got too carried away. They all stared at me like I'm some weird creature from Mars. I grimaced & sighed exasperatedly. 'Do we really have to discuss it, like, _right now_? We got a patient here who needs to rest,' I pointed out. Takumi pouted so damn adorable.

'She's right, let's talk about it some other time, okay?' My mom spoke, gently tugging my dad's arm.

'Ah, yes. We have to deal with more important things first, do we not, my king?' My dad turned serious & glance meaningful look at the royals.

The king nodded. 'You are certainly right, Sakuya,' he agreed with the same seriousness.

'Will you watch after my son, Misa-chan?' The queen asked. The charm she was giving off was hard to resist.

'Y-yes, your highness,' I breathed.

'Thank you,' she said gratefully. 'The doctor prescribed some medicines for him, please make sure he takes it. I know he'll listen to you.' She winked at me & blew a kiss for Takumi. She was so cute.

'Don't punch him, okay? High kicks & judo flips are certainly not allowed, too. Not until he's fully healed. Are we clear?' My dad said sternly.

'Oh, shoot,' I muttered sarcastically & rolled my eyes. Takumi laughed & winced.

'Hey, don't strain yourself,' I said worriedly. The pain was visible in his beautiful face & all I could do was to pat his hand softly. Pathetic.

'I'm alright. I just have to remember not to move my left shoulder,' he scowled.

'Don't cause any problems to Misa-chan. Listen to her, Takumi. Your job now is to heal. We'll be back after we settle a few matters,' the king said, taking in his wife's hand. They looked into each other's eyes like they were having a mental conversation.

'We'll talk later,' my mom whispered to me & kissed my forehead.

'Thanks, mom,' I whispered back gratefully. I was sure she was dying to know what had happened in the past days.

'Rest, both of you,' my dad ordered.

They waved & they disappeared with the click of the door. I made a face at it & turned to Takumi. He was busy fiddling with the bandage around my wrist, a frown on his face.

I sighed. He's going to make a big fuss out of the damn bandage, I'm sure.

'Does it hurt?'

'No.'

'Liar.'

'If I ask you the same thing,' I gestured at his severed shoulder, 'what would you answer?'

He thought for a second then he blew out his breath & pursed his lips. 'You're getting good at countering my attack,' he commented with a crooked smile.

'Oh, please,' I scoffed. 'I already know you a lot better than before.'

'Yeah? But you fell for my trick,' he snickered. Oh, he really wanted to bring that up again. My left eye twitched & I very nearly slammed my fist to his face. Wounded or not, he was still annoying as ever.

I pulled his ear & huffed angrily, 'listen here, you dimwit...'

'Ow, ow, ow!'

'Do you know how much trouble you caused me? Don't you know how many lives flashed before my eyes when I saw you here lying dead?! Don't you know that I cried on you more than I cried in the past 16 years of my life combined?!' I twisted his ear as far as it would go & listened to his howling.

'Stop it, Misa-chan! Ouch! You're not supposed to hurt me until I get all healed, remember?'

'Dad didn't include pulling ears in not-to-do list so shut up!' I pinched harder.

'OUCH! Misa-chan is a big _S_!' He yowled.

'You deserve it,' I released his swelling red ear.

'I think you tore off my ear,' he whimpered childishly as he nursed it. I just glared at him.

'Seriously, Takumi, you gave me a heart attack back there,' I said solemnly after he stopped complaining about his stupid ear.

'I'm sorry, I didn't know you would take it so seriously,' he said.

'Why would I not take it seriously? What, did you expect me to jump around happily while you were supposed to be dead?' I asked indignantly. Was he in his right mind?

Takumi looked like he was trying not to smile as he watched me fumed. Really, he was aiming for a nerve, that guy!

'What are you smirking about? You know I am about _this_ close in giving you a well-earned uppercut in the gut, your highness,' I warned through my teeth.

He caught my fist & laughed freely.

'Aw, you really...' he smiled at me sweetly.

'What?' I growled.

'You...really love me, huh?'

'Of course, I-' I stopped yelling mid-sentence as I realized what he just said. Blood ran hot in my cheeks. 'Tsk...of course, I-I do. I did say it, right?' I mumbled incoherently.

He chuckled & closed his hands around mine. His left hand must be in pain as I felt less pressure from it.

'Will you say it again for me?' He asked. The power of his alluring voice was unbeatable.

'Eh?'

'Please, Misaki?'

I sighed, 'fine. I love you! There, I said it. Are you happy now?'

He pouted, not quite convinced. 'If I just threw out the words 'I love you' to you like it's some kind garbage from my mouth, would you believe it?'

'Your point is?' I asked exasperatedly. Now that I think about it, every conversation we had was always exasperating.

'My point is, you should like this,' he touched my cheek & locked his eyes on mine. My heart raced. My breathing hitched.

'Ayuzawa Misaki,' he said, sending a spine-tingling shiver down my back. 'I love you. I promised to be with you forever, didn't I? And no matter what happens, I'll always find my way back you. I'll stay by your side forever that someday you'll probably get tired of me but even if you kick me, I'll never leave you... because I love you. Always & forever.'

_I love you. Always & forever._

All my life, it never occurred to me that one day, someone will say those lines to me. I felt so blessed & lucky. The words echoed in my head, reverberating in my heart & burning my skin.

Maybe in a different situation, I would laugh my ass off when I hear those super cheesy lines. But from the experience Takumi & I had, I learned to treasure every moment, every corny words, every stupid things we did together. I will cherish it & continue to make another precious memory with him for as long as we live. Nobody knows how long we could have each other, right Might as well enjoy the time we have before it's too late. The world might be ending the next day for all we care.

Smile played along with my lips & I returned his gaze. 'Thank you, Takumi. I love you, too,' I said softly, ignoring my thumping heart & burning cheeks.

'You're cute when you cry. You're cuter when you blush. But your smile is the cutest,' he said tenderly & brushed my cheek.

My smile grew wider & I sighed contentedly. I'll definitely treasure all his cheesy remarks.

**:::**

**11/30/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Yay! I've finished before the clock strikes midnight. This is my day so I really tried hard to finish this today as a gift for myself.

So, yeah... chapter 18 is out. What? Fluffiness & uber cheesiness came back? Hahaha! I didn't realize.

I don't know how you guys will react on this one but I hope *cross fingers* it's all nonviolent, hahaha!

If this chapter didn't reach the level of your expectancy, well... I'm sorry. It's just what my brain dictated my fingers to type *shrugs*. Sorry for grammatical, spelling or whatever mistake you have seen. Oh, and yeah, major OOCness, I know. Please excuse my imperfections. XD

Anyway, a few chapters to go & HIMTP will end. Hmm, maybe I'll write another TakuMisa one-shot story before I completely cease writing fan fictions to give way for my original stories.

Thanks to all the readers, reviewers, followers & favoriters who patiently waited for my update. Thank you! You're the men, dudes!

Hai, let's meet again next chapter, ja ne~!


	19. Winter Escape Plans & Unexpected Visit

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 19: Winter Escape Plans & Unexpected Visit**

**:::**

A few weeks after the whole Gerard-went-psycho incident, winter comfortably sets in over Zelawein. I could say that everything was pretty much back to normal.

Takumi's shiver-down-your-spine split shoulder was fixed but the doctor suggested to keep it cool until it fully recovered. But hey, we're talking about _Takumi _here, so that advice went out the window as soon as he got up from the hospital bed.

I learned from Sayaka that the servants & guards were drugged to sleep & were locked up in the basement, so they were knocked out during Takumi's epic battle with some sword-frenzy lunatic. The king & queen also enjoyed the knocked out party that's why they were out of action.

As for Gerard I-should-be-the-crown-prince Walker, I didn't get a chance to see him, partly because I didn't really have the intention to see him ever again & because I might give him a full face reconstruction with a bonus of a few broken bones when I see as much as a glimpse of his sorry existence.

Takumi & I didn't talk about that anymore. We completely closed the topic for the sake of our sanity.

But the thing that really sent me over the edge was my _parents_. They weren't fussing about my whole near-death experience anymore but they were so _thrilled _about me & the prince getting together, _officially_.

Seriously, they're driving me nuts. And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, the royal couple decided to join the picture. They teased me just about _every time_. I hate my life.

'This is insane!' I blurted out as soon as we stopped running for our lives.

'Tell me about it,' Takumi muttered as he heaved for dear breath.

So, yeah. We escaped the castle. Again. Once we managed to get out of the palace - by jumping off the 5th storey window & leaping over a concrete wall, I might add - we weren't sure if anyone of our parents' minions followed us but we sure ran like hell.

Ignoring the freezing wind, we shot past the town like bullets & didn't stop until we reached the snow-covered forest.

The main reason for all this sudden outburst was that the evil forces known as _our own parents _went way too overboard in teasing us. Hell, they just let loose a whole bunch of aggressive paparazzi in the castle!

Can you believe it? They're practically everywhere; taking pictures [don't ask me _how _they managed to smuggle a hundred cameras] of us, swooning every time they spotted us together, giving us sly glances like we're about to do something they'd extremely anticipated, & some more utterly moronic things.

Honestly, I think if I tell them I'm pregnant [not that I'm planning to be one. I'm just speaking hypothetically], they won't even twitch an eyebrow & shrug it off like it's the most expected news ever. I bet they'll just go 'oh, okay. I hope the baby gets the prince's green eyes & blond hair. Good luck!' & walk away.

You ask who's _they_? Oh, just the _entire_colony of humans living in the castle; starting from the ones sitting on the throne down to the old man, mowing the garden lawns.

On that particular day, Takumi brought me in one of their libraries & obviously, we read some books.

I happened to have opened a certain book which contains how the kingdom works. You know, like a law book or something. I couldn't understand some of it & the prince patiently explained it to me.

He walked over from the other end of the table to me. We were quite aware that we had audience peeping & eavesdropping from outside the room. We didn't pay attention to them.

Takumi explained the contents of the book nonchalantly but the people outside the door find it overly exciting, which I didn't understand. Well, okay, I think it was probably because Takumi was hovering _too close _behind me & occasionally pointing at the words over my shoulder, resting his arm on it.

'So it means that if a prince is not yet married at the age-' a series of snickers interrupted me from concluding what Takumi just explained to me.

We both glared at the door; the snickering stopped at once.

'Erm, as I was saying, if a prince is not yet married at the age of 25, the council has the right to arrange a marriage for him? How cruel is that?' I asked incredulously.

Takumi chuckled & ruffled me hair playfully, 'that's how we do things here.'

I made a face & turned back to the book. I absentmindedly rubbed my eye, 'it also says here t-that - what are you doing?' I raised my eyebrows at him as he curiously leaned to me like he was inspecting something on my face.

'Hey!' I snapped him out of it.

There was a quiet, high-pitched giggling somewhere outside the door.

'You got...' he pointed to my eye, frowning & gesturing something I couldn't make out. 'You got something in your eye,' he murmured as he got closer.

I blinked. Sure enough, my vision became cloudy & my eye itched so much. I was about to rub it but Takumi caught my hand.

'No, no, don't rub your eye,' he said.

'But-' I blinked rapidly. My eyes started to water & I swear it was getting painful by the second.

'Stop doing that,' Takumi put a finger on my eyelid to prevent my blinking.

'Ow! Ow!' I yelped. Whatever had got into my eye was stinging, like needle pricks. The thought made my panic rise & I dropped the book. I frantically groped around. 'Get it out, Takumi, it's blinding me!'

'I can't get out if you keep on moving. Calm down & open your eyes,' he ordered. I did what he told me with a small whimper.

Takumi forced my eyelid open & blew air to my right eye with sharp pressure.

'Stop! That hurts,' I complained as I pushed him away. 'Just pick it out or something!' I said desperately.

He clicked his tongue irritably. He shot me a stern look, though it was blurry. He drew a small breath & blew on to my eye again. This time, I felt something flew off.

Takumi let go of my poor eyelid & I blinked like I never blinked before. My eyes were itching & tears glistened on my lashes. But nevertheless, the pain was gone & my vision cleared.

'Here,' Takumi handed me a handkerchief. 'Don't rub your eyes with your dirty hands.'

'My hands are not dirty!' I exclaimed as I snatched the cloth from him. I jabbed it on my eyes. My right eye felt like swollen & itching.

'Yes, it is. That's why you get dirt in your eyes,' he chuckled. 'They're all red now. You look like a drug addict.'

'Shut up.'

'Let me see,' he pinched my chin & whipped my face to his direction.

'It's not bleeding, is it?' I asked.

'Nope, but you should put some eye drops on it to make sure-'

White lights suddenly flashed followed by annoying snickering & giggling. The evil forces of Mother Nature shamelessly invaded our personal space & openly taking pictures of us.

Takumi looked exactly like he was gathering dark miasma around him as he glared at the intruders. He was building his own personalized hell on earth & he was about to open the gates to his very first guests.

'That's it,' he growled.

Uh-oh. _Now _he's mad.

Takumi abruptly stood & yanked me off the chair. He dragged me out of the library, pushing past the group of paparazzi-slash-maids who were so busy clicking their cameras.

I felt like we were some celebrity couple walking down the red carpet, making them swooned in a very irritating way.

They shuffled after us as we walked faster & faster until we were sprinting full-speed through the hallways.

Takumi held my hand as he led the way through the maze. Now I felt like we're some pair of runaway criminals pursued by police dressed in frilly maid costumes. Fantastic.

We made it to the gate. But unfortunately, more mobs of paparazzi with their cameras ready barricaded the _only _safe way.

We groaned in unison & blocked our face from the crazy flashes of lights. We went back inside, dodging the maids & running up the stairs. The whole place was so noisy as they cluttered up behind us, too.

After dizzying twist & turns, we finally lost them. I found myself back in the room where Takumi showcased his monkey skills last summer.

Yep, you guessed it right. We jumped off again from the window, but this time, I did it _willingly_. As soon as our feet touched the solid land, we ran away faster than the official Olympic record.

So, that's pretty much the totality of our adventure up until now.

The weather had been fairly nice these days; the sun was shining brightly, the sky was a perfect cloudless blue but the temperature was just a few degrees above freezing point. Occasional wind blew hard, carrying small flakes of snow.

'Oh, great,' I muttered as I softly smacked my forehead with my palm.

'What?' My stupid companion asked.

'What, you ask? _That's _what,' I replied, pointing to him as he shivered & breathed thick mist. For the love of God, we didn't wear jackets! Or anything to keep us warm.

'Want to go back?' He asked, shoving our intertwined hands in the pocket of his thin sweater while I tried to bury my other hand in my own vest's pocket.

'Hell, no!' I didn't mean to shout. 'I'd rather freeze to death than facing a hundred cameras like we're some sort of ancient relics.'

'So, you want us to freeze out here? Don't you want to drink some coffee? I know a nice cafe somewhere in town,' Takumi suggested.

'I'm not trusting any place in this damn town. Who knows how many undercover agents our crazy parents hired just to tease us? And I don't think your fan girls will be happy to see me _with their prince_,' I roiled my eyes. 'Beside, I don't drink coffee,' I pointed out.

He chuckled & squeezed my hand. 'You sure have a lot of reasons. You could've just said a simple 'no',' he mumbled amusedly.

I stuck my tongue at him, which I realized, was not a good idea in this kind of weather. I puffed my cheeks, thinking of a nice place to go beside from the cozy warmth of the castle.

'Ah!' I lightened up as a certain place went *_blink blink*_in my head. 'Let's go to my old house,' I said excitedly.

He thought for a second & beamed, 'I guess it's so okay. But how are we supposed to go there?'

'We'll walk, of course! Unless you can fly?' I asked sarcastically.

'Do you want me to?'

'What, you can fly now?' I raised my eyebrows.

'I will. For you,' he smiled charmingly.

'You know what? Let's just start walking before I send you flying through the woods,' I muttered after a heavy blush. I pulled out my hand from his pocket & walked past him.

'That'll take us about an hour,' he pouted.

I turned & gave him a sly smirk, 'not if you know the _right _way.'

* * *

After 30 minutes:

We were standing in front of our old house's door with frozen ears & cold limbs. We didn't have time to admire the gingerbread-like looks of the house as I opened the door & we quickly stepped inside.

The furniture we left were covered in white cloth. I didn't pay much attention to it & went straight to the fireplace to heat up the house. Good thing, we still have the stack of woods there.

'Maybe you should let me do that,' Takumi said.

'Why?'

'Because you might bring the whole house on fire,' he said nonchalantly as he snatched the firewood in my hands.

I snorted but I let him handle it. In a matter of minutes, there was a blazing fire on the fireplace. He looked at me with a smug I-am-so-awesome expression.

'Wipe that smug off your face, Takumi,' I warned him.

He chuckled & sat beside me on the cool floor near the fireplace.

'So, how long are we gonna stay here?' He asked casually.

'Until the next Jurassic period,' I answered seriously.

He cracked a laughter & I can't help but join in, too.

'I wish we brought something to eat,' I said.

He nodded silently.

'And something to drink, too,' I added.

'I guess we'll never survive in a deserted island,' he chuckled.

'Pirawyth is not an archipelago, your majesty.'

He gave _the_look, 'will you humor me just this time?'

I giggled & sighed. The silence was peaceful, almost lulling me to sleep. Despite the cool, hard floor, I lied on my back & closed my eyes. It was still early in the morning but the big fuss in the castle had already worn me down.

'You'll catch colds, you know,' Takumi whispered beside me.

I peeked through one eye & mumbled, 'but you're lying, too.'

He yawned & turned on his side, facing me with his eyes closed. He looked so cute. I had the sudden urge to trace his cheek with my finger but I held myself. But I felt like he was really seducing me with those thick lashes & perfect nose & kissable lips-

'Argh!' I sat up abruptly.

'What?' He muttered sleepily, still unmoving. I wanted to kick him; how can he have that effect on me even when he's sleeping?

'It's nothing,' I grumbled.

'Then just lay beside me,' he reached out an arm around to my waist in an attempt to pull me down.

'I'm cold,' I said, cringing away from his touch. 'Uh, I'm going to check something upstairs.' I left him lying alone on the floor & bolted for the stairs.

_Stupid leaking pheromones! Stupid teenage hormones! Stupid perverted alien! _I thought crazily.

I went inside my old room & looked around. My old bed was there beside the frozen window, my closet & assorted stuff that I left behind was still intact. I tinkered around; the feeling of nostalgia was pleasant.

I saw my old self in the framed photographs on the side table. A particular picture caught my eyes. I took & inspected it closely.

In the image, a black-haired boy had his arms around me while I grinned goofily at the camera. It confused me. I couldn't remember who was this boy & it confused me more that I actually /allowed/ him to hug me.

Something sparked.

_Ah! I know him,_ I thought. _I know him. I know him. _I chanted in my head as I tapped a finger on my chin.

He was part of my childhood. His aunt used to visit us along with him. He was there at the time when I fell down a tree & broke my arm. He was also here in my bedroom during those childish "camp night". I can remember him laughing & calling me. But a huge memory gap barred me from remembering his name.

'Tsk, I know him...'

'Who?' Another voice asked. If it weren't so familiar, I would've thought that the boy in the picture spoke.

I jumped out of skin; nearly dropping the frame.

'Takumi!' I whirled around & found his head theatrically poking in my room. 'Are you trying to hand me my death certificate?'

He ignored me & let himself in. He peeked over my shoulder.

'Who's that?' He curiously pointed at the boy in the picture.

'I'm trying to recall his name, okay?' I said impatiently. I stared back at the photo, racking my brain for any name that would fit this boy.

'He's good-looking,' he commented.

'Hn...' _Think hard. Think hard._

'You looked pretty close with him, huh?' Takumi said. Was that bitterness I heard from him?

'He was my childhood friend,' I mumbled distractedly.

'He seemed to enjoy hugging you like that.'

'And what are you trying to imply?' I snapped at him.

'Nothing,' he huffed & sat on my bed.

'Shut up for a bit, will you? I'm thinking here.'

He pouted childishly & rummaged about in my room while I focused on the picture. The more I tried to locate the boy's face in my head, the more I came up with memories of a pretty blond girl, which didn't really make sense.

I puffed my cheeks & let out a frustrated sigh. I guess I'll have to ask my mom about it. I took the picture from the frame & stuffed it in my pocket.

'Can't remember him?' Takumi asked from the other side of the room. He seemed busy poking around with something.

'No,' I shook my head. He remained silent.

A few seconds later, Takumi turned & smirked at me as he held out an old photograph like a placard to my face.

'HEY!' I yelped. He was looking at my _embarrassing _baby pictures which I shoved away its existence from the face of the planet & buried it in the deepest chasm of my cabinet.

'Who says you can-'

'Aw, my Misa-chan is so cute!' He squeaked idiotically, looking at yet another picture.

'Stop! You can't look at that!' I practically dove for the wooden box in his arm but he expertly swerved it away from my grasp.

'Eh? Why not?' He whined.

Oh, god. That Pandora's Box contained all the humiliating pictures I had as a baby & as a kid. Even some of them were taken when I was totally _naked!_

'Takumi, please. Stop it while I still have my dignity!' I wrestled for the box.

'There's nothing embarrassing in your pictures, is there?'

'_They're all embarrassing!_' I almost stomped my foot in desperation.

'No, you looked cute here. Actually, you're really cute even now,' he smirked playfully.

'Oh, shut up! There are some pictures there you absolutely _cannot _see!' I screamed.

'Why?' He asked much to my annoyance.

'Seriously, is privacy a foreign concept to you?' I shot back exasperatedly.

'Why do you want privacy? These are not as embarrassing as you think they are,' he reasoned out.

'Argh! Because there are-'

_Knock! Knock!_

We froze.

We looked at each other with the same horrified expression.

'Did they follow us here?' I whispered.

'I don't think they knew where you used to live,' Takumi replied in a hushed voice.

'My parent's could've told them!'

'Probably. But still, they wouldn't think that we might actually refuge here in the middle of winter.'

He got a point. But who in the world was knocking on the supposedly-empty house?

We went back downstairs quietly; the box completely forgotten.

'I guess I'll have to open it,' I sighed. 'Maybe it's one of mom's friends or something.'

'Yeah,' Takumi agreed.

'But be ready to run just in case,' I added.

'Yeah.'

I opened the door.

A less-than familiar boy stood there, an almost hopeless expression was etched on his handsome face. But it immediately morphed into a huge grin when he saw me, like I was the angel he'd been waiting for.

'MISAKI-CHII!' He cheered & flung his arms around me, sending us both tumbling on the floor.

**:::**

**12/07/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Oh, guys! Thank you soooooooooooo much for all the reviews last chapter! I love reading all of them, it made me feel like a true writer, LOL! Thank you! You make my *kokoro* go *dokidoki* :)

On with my ramblings:

I've decided to put a small arc after the major event before ending this up. That way, it won't end too abruptly, ne?

Iya~! Another character was revealed! I wonder if you all know him. Haha!

I did some reading to this story last night & I wanted to slap myself. I don't know why or how the hell I managed to wrote all those cheesy, fluffy lines & scenes.

I tend to get irritated at my own work to the point of wanting to rip it all up & write it again. I know I have quite a lot of mistakes in grammar & spellings & sometimes, I forgot to type a word, that's because I don't read the chapter thoroughly. Sorry about that.

Did you know that chapters 14 to 18 all happened in one day? Have you noticed that one? I also noticed a few bloopers in the past chapters which made me laugh so much, haha! I'll edit it as soon as I declared this story complete.

Hai, I think that's all for this chapter. Meet me again here sometime after next week.

Thank you!

**Attn: **

**miss nobody: **EEHH? It's okay! Don't fuss about how late your reviews are, haha! That's life, we can't always be on the right time_. _Thank you for reading & reviewing! It means a lot to every writer to know that someone is out there reading their stories despite their own busy schedule :)

**Butterfly-chan: **Hi, thank you for taking your time reading & reviewing my story. I'll try to update faster ^_^

**Guests: **Hahaha! I don't know if you're the same person or not, LOL. But it's nice to know that you like my story & I love reading your reviews!

**amuletspade2001: **Hi there! Don't worry, I won't hang this story. I'll finish this before I leave fan fictions. But maybe... probably... I'll still post one-shots here for the sake of my imagination & for my ever-faithful readers :)**  
**

**Magica Ring: **Hello! I really enjoy reading your reviews. Somehow, I always find myself looking out for your reviews whenever I updated, haha! But don't feel obliged to review every time I update. I also have a brewing one-shot in my head & I'll start writing it after this story. :)

**Razielle: **Even for just one 'Kyahh! XD', I still appreciate it, LOL! Thank you for reading!

**Welki: **I updated! XD I hope you like it & please continue reading!

**Anonymous: **I'm glad I made you feel like you're in the story, too. That's a skill every writer must have to take their readers to the world they created & it's really overwhelming to know that you like it, thank you. *teary-eyes*

**Siobhan29: **I updated! XD I hope you like it.

**Ariella: **It's an honor to know that my story is the reason you visit fanfiction, thank you so much! Try reading other stories here, too. You'll enjoy it ^_^

**Call Me Zelda: **Please, don't kill me! Oh, you're free to kill Gerard now, I have no use of him anymore, hahaha! LOL. I like to have your magical unicorn powder, too. Can you possibly send me one?

**Fraul: **Thanks for waiting patiently for my updates, I hope you don't get bored with my story. Thank you!


	20. Blue Means to Blew Up!

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 20: Blue Means to Blew Up!**

**:::**

'Misaki-chii! It's so good to see you! I miss you so much!' The black-haired guy that looked scarily like the one in the picture squealed as he hugged me fiercely.

'Uhm, I'm sorry but can you please get off me, please? I think you banged my head too hard,' I groaned.

'Oh, sorry.' He stood & helped me up.

We looked at each other; he got a familiar pair of twinkling dark blue eyes as if he just won a lottery while I stared back at him with soaring confusion. Why do I remember this _guy _wearing a dress with blonde hair? The only person I ever met in my life who loved cross-dressing was-

My eyes widened; realization hit me like angry hail storm.

'Aoi-chan?!'

He beamed & engulfed me again in a choking bear hug.

'Y-you... What happened to you?' I stuttered once he let go. I assessed how _handsome _he actually was without the wig.

Aoi's eyebrows furrowed, 'what do you mean what happened to me?'

'I mean, you look like-'

'A guy?' He supplied with a roll of his eyes.

I giggled & nodded. 'I honestly didn't recognize you. The last time I saw you in your... "manly" form was when you were nine,' I pulled out the picture & held it out for him.

He groaned, waving his hand dismissively & refused to look at the picture. 'Well, I'm so sorry if I showed up with my "manly" form,' he shuddered theatrically. 'How about you? You're still as unfashionable as ever.'

I looked down to my outfit which was composed of brown vest over my favorite winter dress that fell just before my knees. I wore black tights & brown, furry boots. Simple but absolutely not ugly.

'Where have you been? Where's your parents? Why is this house empty?' He demanded. 'You know I came here _every day _since last month. And last week, I received a letter from-oh, and who is he?' Aoi's growing anger dissipated as soon as his eyes landed on Takumi.

Right. I momentarily forgot his existence. I looked back at him. His face could bid a billion dollar in an auction sale as he scrutinized Aoi. He looked like he was contemplating whether our unexpected visitor is a friend or a foe.

Aoi, on the hand, roamed his malicious eyes on the prince like he was trying to undress him with telekinesis & sheer willpower.

I cleared my throat. They both snapped out of their trance. I looked at them exasperatedly.

'Aoi, this is Usui Takumi-' I paused for a bit. _Am I supposed to introduce him as my boyfriend or as the prince? _I thought. I went for the latter. 'The first prince of Zelawi-'

'What?!' Aoi's sudden outburst made us flinch. I blinked at his rather funny facial expression. He looked like someone just poked him between the eyes.

Maybe I should've told him that he was my boyfriend. I sighed inwardly.

Aoi flashed me a suspicious glare. He lowered his voice, 'what are you doing here _with the prince_? You didn't kidnap him, did you?'

'Oh, please!' I rolled my eyes. 'Who would want to kidnap this perverted guy?'

'You,' Takumi answered. 'Because you want me to yourself so selfishly,' he grinned devilishly & snatched me closer by my waist. I blushed heavily, trying to wriggle out of his grasp.

And I didn't miss the way Aoi turned purple. 'What's going on, Misaki-chii? What's with the close proximity?'

Damn it. Aoi's the type of human being to make a big deal out of small things, especially when it concerns me which I don't really know why. 'Erm, you know...uh, we're sort of-'

'You're not telling me something,' he accused in that annoying singsong voice he always used when he's sensing _something_.

'Aoi, we-'

'We're dating,' Takumi beat me to it.

A few seconds of undisturbed silence & my childhood friend went nuclear alert.

'WHAT?!' Takumi & I winced at the intensity of his voice. His eyes could pop out of its sockets & for a split second, I wondered if I should catch it.

I scratched an imaginary itch on my neck. 'Aoi, I-'

'YOU'RE DATING THE PRINCE?!'

'Ssshh!' My breath deflated as I firmly put a finger on my lips in an attempt to shut him up. 'You don't have to scream it to the world!' I hissed. 'I have enough people to worry about & I don't need a whole new bunch of paparazzi!'

'You're dating the prince,' he repeated in much mellow voice after he practiced the inhale-exhale. But he still looked at me like I'm about to swell & burst.

'Oh, come off it, Aoi!' I groaned. It didn't help that Takumi had his deluxe smirk that irritated me more.

Aoi's face fell solemn. 'There I was in Riverblue, pitifully thinking that no guy in their right mind would want to date my poor, amazonic friend. Turns out she'd been dating _the prince,_' he sighed. He said it like it was the most tragic story in the history of fairy tales.

'Amazonic friend?' Takumi tried to suppress his laughter but failed as small giggles escaped.

'Shut up,' I muttered. 'And Aoi, I am not _that _hopeless! I don't need your fake pity.'

He chuckled & jumped on the couch, causing the dust to fly off, 'whatever. So, how did you managed to poison the prince? He's a pretty hot catch, isn't he?'

'Will you cut out those creepy words about him? You talk as if he's not here. See that,' I pointed to Takumi's head, 'you're filling it with unnecessary air. And I did not poison him.'

Takumi just smirked sexily.

'But it's the truth! Look at him; he's like a really hot Greek god or something. What kind of magical mixture did you put in his drink, huh?'

'You're going to blow up his head any second now. And for the last time, I did _not _put anything in his drink,' I said tiredly.

Takumi kept silent, watching us with amusement & wide smile. I wondered what he was thinking. I hope he's not considering knocking out my noisy friend.

'Say, your majesty, how long have you been under Misaki-chii's powerful spell?' Aoi turned to him. I think he was forgetting that he wasn't wearing his Lolita costume & the way he batted his eyelashes at Takumi made my stomach clench.

'For a month now,' the prince said slowly, cocking his head at me as if waiting for me to confirm his answer. I actually didn't know. It felt like longer than a month. But for the sake of Aoi's shutting up, I nodded.

'How did you two meet?' He excitedly scrambled on the couch, looking at us with shining eyes.

'Since when did you become the host of a showbiz sitcom?' I demanded.

'Just answer the freaking question.'

'In the castle.'

'In the meadow.'

Takumi & I answered simultaneously. We looked at each other & both raised eyebrows.

'No, we met in the castle,' I insisted.

'It was in the meadow last summer, Ms. Can't-you-watch-where-you're-going-you-could've-killed-me,' Takumi said.

'Oh.' My short-term memory syndrome was acting up.

'Which one is your final answer?' Aoi inquired.

'The meadow,' we both said.

Silence.

'Wait a minute, can we go on commercial first? I want to ask you something,' Aoi turned to me with slightly confused expression. 'As I was asking before I got distracted by that hot prince of yours, why is the house empty? Where have you been? And your parents? I told you I've been coming back here for a month already.'

I knew he would ask. I sighed, 'we moved to the castle last sum-'

'Castle? You're living _with _him?!' His blue eyes widened.

'Well, actually... no. But technically, yes,' I answered. 'You know my dad's work, right? We have our own house inside the palace's gate, so we're not really living _in _the castle. Got it?'

Aoi's face brightened, 'oh, okay.' And he continued his showbiz sitcom, 'so, how did the sparks fly?'

'Huh?' I raised an eyebrow.

'It was the pebbles & rocks that actually flew,' Takumi answered.

'I'm guessing my amazonic friend did that?'

'Yep!' The prince said enthusiastically.

Aoi giggled. I looked at them back & forth, thinking: _what the hell are they talking about?_

'Who fell in love first?'

I blushed. 'Are you seriously asking that question? Do you really think we could answer that? O-of course, we won't know that.' Takumi chuckled quietly beside me.

Aoi pouted, 'why not?'

'Next question, please,' the prince said. 'But I'm pretty sure; Ayuzawa fell in love with me the first time we've met.'

I gasped & narrowed my eyes at him, 'how thick can your face get, stupid perverted alien?!'

'What, it's the truth. You tried to seduce me with-'

'For heaven's sake, I did _not _seduce you!'

'Yes, you did.'

'I did not!'

'Did too.'

'Did not!'

'Did too,' Takumi sneered playfully & I could feel my nerves nearing its combustion.

'DID. NOT.'

'Alright, alright! Hold it up, guys!' Aoi broke in. 'I got it, okay? No need to slash each other's throat, I got it.'

'He started it,' I grumbled & crossed my arms on my chest like a pouting kid.

Takumi laughed lightly & put a quick kiss on my cheek. I jolted like it electrified me. The heat of my face could melt a pile of snow.

'W-wha-what was that for?!' I stuttered; the small spot where his lips touched stung. His smiled was so damn charming.

Aoi inhaled his breath & choked but still managed to flash a sly smirk to our direction.

'Don't give me that look, Aoi,' I warned after I pinched the clingy prince.

'What look?' He gave me his famous innocent fluttering of his eyes.

I glared at him & huffed. I wish I had a roll of electric tape to wrap up these two idiots.

The morning past by quickly; what with the stupid questions Aoi threw at us & the childish bicker Takumi & I had whenever we have different answers to his questions. But it sure was fun to play with him again. The prince seemed enjoy it too; he kept on smiling & laughing, especially the part when I couldn't get Aoi to shut up as he started blubbering about my embarrassing childhood moments.

My dumbass of a friend was sprawled on couch, playing with a dusty throw pillow while I sat on the opposite chair with Takumi sitting carelessly on the armrest. Seriously, is he going to explode if he moved as much as meter away from me?

'Ah, I'm hungry. I want some food!' Came a muffled sound from the transversal guy under the pillow. Now that he mentioned it, it was probably about lunch time & my stomach growled.

'We don't have food here,' I said.

'Come to think of it,' Aoi faced us & suspicion was clear on his face. 'Why are you two here? You're not doing anything funny, are you?'

I blushed, 'n-nothing. We're not doing anything!'

'Oh, really?' He raised an eyebrow at me.

'Really,' I promised. 'We, uh, got chased by aggressive paparazzi & we ended up here.'

'Paparazzi?'

'Yeah. The castle unleashed a full combatant of scary paparazzi & if you know what's good for you, you'll shut up.' I am so tired of his unending questions. It's creeping on my nerves now.

'Are you hungry?' Takumi inquired.

'Yeah, a bit.'

'Want to eat somewhere in town?'

'Sure...' I replied uncertainly. 'I just hope we don't run on to somebody with a camera.'

He beamed at me, 'let's go then.'

* * *

We dragged our feet on the snow pathway, enjoying the warmth of the sun. The temperature became tolerable as midday approaches.

I was wedged between Aoi & Takumi as we walked, with my naughty friend's arm around my waist. The prince didn't seem to be bothered by it; knowing that Aoi was a very good childhood friend of mine. He kept my hand in his pocket, though.

'...and the old hag kidnapped all my clothes & threatened to burn them if I didn't do as she says,' Aoi was saying. He was complaining about his Aunt Satsuki; the sweet lady who's one of my mom's girlfriends.

'Well, I think that's good,' I commented just to annoy him. I successfully did.

His voice raised a few octaves higher as he stared at me in disbelief, 'WHAT?! You seriously think that was good? She _took_ my handmade clothes, my precious clothes & used it to _blackmail _me in doing her evil whims!'

'Don't be so melodramatic, Aoi,' I rolled eyes at his miserable state. 'You know she will never do that. She loves you & she just wants you to realize that dresses & long hair are for _girls._'

'I thought you were my friend?' He choked dramatically, freezing on the spot in the middle of the untamed road.

I laughed, 'you thought wrong. Come on, dummy. I'm hungry.' I pulled him to walk.

He continued to blubber on while I nodded distractedly, not really listening to him as Takumi played with my fingers inside his pocket, squeezing & pinching in a very sweet manner.

'Where are we going to eat?' Aoi asked once we arrived in the town.

'Somewhere out there,' Takumi smiled & led the way.

Somewhere out there turned out to be a cozy little cafe hidden behind some shops. It was quiet inside & a few people were dining. They looked up when the prince came in but didn't say anything, like it was perfectly normal to see a royalty walking around the town.

We were greeted by an overly enthusiastic girl. 'Welco - oh, Takumi-sama! How nice of you to drop by. We haven't seen you in months, we miss you here!'

With wide eyes & unpleasant knot in my stomach, I recognized the blonde, booby girl. She was the bitch that was flirting with him in the public view of the town back before. My eye twitched & I deliberately withdrew my hand from his pocket.

The prince glanced at me briefly but didn't say anything. The fleeting look was enough for me to understand the message: _Calm down, I don't intend to do this._

Aoi took a sharp breath & I could tell that he had his "bitch mode" activated. But he kept his mouth shut.

I gave Takumi a wide-eyed look that could be translated to what-the-hell's-going-on look. And much to my growing anger, he avoided my gaze. _He ignored me! _The nerve of the bastard.

'Ah, it's nice to see you, too, Kana,' Takumi said nonchalantly but I could hear the underlying tone of nervousness. Wow, the prince was _nervous._Ha, he'd better be or else...

The Kana girl beamed delightfully. She linked her arms around the prince's & towed him away, taking him by surprise. Takumi gently pulled back his limb & cleared his throat. Kana pouted in a very annoying way. It wasn't cute at all.

'Kana, a table for three please,' Takumi said politely, slightly gesturing to us. The blonde girl reluctantly looked at me & suppressed an exasperated sigh.

'Oh, didn't notice you have company,' she said distastefully. She glared at me like a real professional bitch. God, she made my blood boil. How could she possibly miss us? We were standing right next to him! Was she blind or what?

Takumi must've notice the smoke coming out my ears; his lips were tightly shut in a hard line like he was really trying hard not to laugh. He took my hand, weaved his fingers through mine so I couldn't pull away & followed the girl.

Ah! My neves. I really should calm down or my hair will fall off my head. Childish jealousy course right through every vain in my body which made me angry & the fact that I felt jealous made me angrier. I shouldn't feel this way. Calm down, Ayuzawa!

Kana led us to a table good for six people; you know the one with a bench on both sides. Aoi & I slipped together on one side while Takumi had the long bench to himself on the opposite side, sitting directly in front of me.

'What would you like to have, Takumi-sama?' She asked, pulling out a notepad & a pen from her frilly apron. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as she batted her eyelashes at him.

'I'll have the usual; omelet rice & coffee latte,' he answered, looking at me intently all the while.

Kana turned to me with a totally different mood. She looked at me like I just insulted her mother. 'And what would be yours...?' She raised an eyebrow.

'The same,' I said stiffly, not peeling my gaze from the prince. _I'll kill you!_

'I'll have the same, too,' Aoi said with a dash of venom in his voice. For the first time that day, I was _really _glad Aoi was there.

Kana left after giving a sly smile to Takumi. My mind rolled a few insults and it came out under Aoi's breath.

'Bitch,' he muttered. And I totally agreed with him.

'What's eating you?' Takumi asked casually. But I could tell he was very amused.

I glared & huffed, folding my arms on the table close to my chest.

'Come on, Misa-chan, tell me.'

'Do you really want to know?' I snapped.

'Are you jealous?'

'No shit.'

He narrowed his on me briefly then smirked, 'for some reasons, I find it very hot when you curse. It turns me on-OW!'

I kicked him in the shin under the table. Stupid perverted alien.

'So violent as ever...' he mumbled, nursing his shin.

'Serves you right,' I mumbled back.

Aoi sighed exaggeratedly & stood abruptly. 'If you two are going to make a scene, I'm leaving. Settle down your stupid lover's quarrel & while you're at it, I don't want to be around. I'll be back,' he ducked out of our booth.

'Oh, and your highness, if I were you, I'll stop pushing her to the limit. She can be a very scary monster when she's jealous,' Aoi added with a smirk before walking out the cafe.

I hang my mouth open. That idiot transversal. I'm not jealous! Or maybe I am. Or not. Urgh! Anyway, Aoi always hate it when I'm being shitty. Well, I'll deal with him later.

'Why are you jealous?' Takumi turned back on me.

'I am not jealous!' I am very mad I could flip the table down.

'Aw, my Misa-chan is extra cute when she's jealous,' he sang & I was tempted to stomped on his foot.

'Shut up,' I warned quietly. Why, oh, why do I have to be so easy to read? Now, he's making fun of me & he's seriously enjoying this. _Damn! I want to go home._

He looked at me & clicked his tongue. He sighed & ran his hand through his messy blonde locks. He was exasperated. But I busy being mad to care.

'Misaki,' he breathed, leaning on the table to rub the frown off my forehead.

I jerked away.

'Oh, come on, baby... stop being like that. It's cute, but your smile is cuter,' he tried to push the corner of my lips to force a smile but I swatted his finger & stared at him, horrified.

'Baby?' I wanted to kick him again. The overused endearment sent a shiver down my spine.

'Yep, you're my baby. My honey bunch & my sugar plum. You're my sweetie pie-'

'Stop or I'll cut your tongue off!' Goose bumps ran along down my arms. Honey bunch? Sugar plum? Sweetie pie? Excuse me, but I don't remember turning into someone's dessert.

He pouted. 'Don't be mad, please? She's just an acquaintant. There's nothing to be jealous of,' his eyes crinkled in delight.

'Who said I'm jealous?' I glared.

'Your face is screaming bloody jealous, Misaki.'

'No! I'm just-'

Kana appeared with our food, effectively cutting my speech.

'Here you go, Takumi-sama,' she laid down the plate in front of him first. But the prince gently pushed the plate towards me & smiled. Kana narrowed her powder blue eyes at me. _Hey, what did I do? Freaking bitch, I am going to poke your annoying eyes._

'Do you want something else, Takumi-sama?' She purred.

'Do you, Misaki?' He asked me back, flashing his oh-so-brilliant smile.

I eyed the steaming cup of coffee; an impressive swirls of art foamed on top. I tried very hard not to grimace. I mean, it looked delicious & all but coffee is not really my thing. But I shut my mouth; I didn't want to look like a picky prick. One small cup of it shouldn't harm me, I guess.

'Oh,' Takumi noticed my not-so happy look at the coffee latte. 'You hate coffee, don't you? Want some hot chocolate? You like chocolates, yes?'

'No, it's fine-'

'Kana, can you please get her a cup of chocolate instead?'

'Sure,' she poorly hid her annoyance & retrieved my coffee.

'Thank you,' Takumi said politely & beamed at her which instantly thawed her out. She smiled back & touched his hand briefly then left.

'I don't understand why she has to touch you like that,' I wondered out loud.

Takumi chuckled, a sound of light bell ringing. 'It's nothing. Just a friendly gesture. You should eat,' he said.

'Friendly gesture,' I snorted. 'Can't you see she's all over you?'

'Is that what you're jealous about?' He raised an eyebrow sexily.

'I. Am. Not. Jealous!'

'Your nose is turning red again.'

I gasped & my hand flew on my nose. He laughed.

'Aw, Misa-chan's so cute. Are you really jealous?' He pinched my cheek hard.

'Argh! Fine, I _am _jealous! I am so jealous! Happy, now?' I exploded. Good thing our booth was hidden from the other diners & they couldn't hear my outburst.

He blinked at me in surprise. He smiled shyly as he put a hand on his nape.

We looked at each other in silence. I more like glare at him.

'I love you,' he said quietly.

I blinked twice, 'eh?'

His remark yanked the carpet from under my feet & I stumbled over, leaving me confused & blushing. 'W-what's with the sudden 'I love you'?'

He shrugged. 'I just feel like saying it.'

'If you think that'll calm me down,' I snorted, 'you're wrong. I'm still mad & jealous.' _There, you want me jealous, right?_

He chuckled & handed me a spoon & fork. 'Eat,' he said.

We ate mostly in silence. We talked about random topics & I actually enjoyed it until the Kana girl came back with a cup of chocolate as per the crown prince's request.

I tried to calm my nerves down but the girl was really pushing me over the edge as she stoop low on the table, resting her elbow on it & practically wading her boobs in Takumi's face. She was attempting to start a conversation with him as if I didn't exist.

That's it.

I cleared my throat forcefully. 'Excuse me,' I said with polite sarcasm.

'Yes?' She turned to me unwillingly but her answering voice was overly sweet.

Takumi's lips thinned into a hard line like he was trying not to say anything.

'I hate to interrupt your lovely conversation but I believe it is _our lunch date_ so if you could just leave us alone, I'll appreciate that.' _Holy shit, lunch date? Where the hell did that come from? _My mind was reeling & adrenalin flushed through my body.

Takumi's eyes widened but he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Kana looked scandalized, her powder blue eyes blazed with fiery flames. She took a deep breath like she was preparing for a battle.

_Bring it on, bitch!_

'Just because Takumi-sama took pity on you & brought you here for your delusional lunch date' -she air-quoted sarcastically- 'doesn't mean you can act all high & mighty. There's no way this hot, gorgeous, awesome prince would fall in love with someone as ordinary as you,' she barked back.

I rolled my eyes as best as I could. 'Hot, gorgeous, awesome prince?' I scoffed. 'For your information, lady, this guy is absolutely nothing like hot, gorgeous & awesome. The only thing you got right is that he's the prince. Look at him, he's a very big stupid, perverted prince of aliens ever created in the universe.'

Kana looked like downright outrageous. Her eyes burned brighter & I could swear she was beginning to morph into a big bad she-wolf. 'How dare you insult our prince?! You have no right to say that, you little insolent freak! Who do you think you are?!'

At this moment, Takumi was ready to intervene but I cast him a warning look. _Stay out of it or you're going to get it, too._

'I am not insulting him. I'm just stating the facts,' I caught Takumi smirked, 'and for your additional information, I am Ayuzawa Misaki & that guy, Usui Takumi, is _mine._'

Kana's eyes widened & she whipped her gaze back to her beloved prince as if waiting for him to deny what I said.

Takumi just shrugged nonchalantly. 'Sorry, my _girlfriend _doesn't like to share,' he smiled innocently.

Kana's jaw dropped to the floor & I wished Aoi was there to witness. He would be very proud of me.

The girl gritted her teeth as she threw dagger-sharp glare at me before stomping away.

I inwardly cheered & praised myself. I took my utensils & began to eat as if nothing happened.

'So,' Takumi started, a smile threatening to spread across his face. 'I'm yours?'

'Yes. Mine & only mine,' I glared at him. _Geez, when did I become so possessive? Damn that Kana girl!__  
_  
Takumi grinned like an idiot.

Silence.

My insides were swirling & I set down my utensils. I took a breath. 'I'm sorry,' I said quietly.

'What are you apologizing for?' Takumi asked softly.

I fumbled with the cuffs of my long-sleeved dress, avoiding his eyes. Oh, where did my adrenalin go now?

'Y-you know... with that Kana girl, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have paid attention to her,' I bit my lip.

'Hey,' he reached over & hooked his fingers under my chin. He tilted my face to force me to look at him. 'There's nothing to worry about, okay? You did nothing wrong. My Misa-chan was just really jealous, I understand,' he nuzzled his nose on mine briefly, making my heart thundered & released my chin.

I sighed in relief. I was afraid I might go too overboard & Takumi wouldn't like it.

'Eat, so we can leave,' he said.

I obediently complied.

* * *

'Man... I shouldn't have left! I wish I saw that girl's face when you slapped those words to her!' Aoi was still regretting that he left the cafe.

'Oh, shut it, Aoi! It wasn't worth seeing, okay? Takumi, stop telling him!' I was blushing from the roots of my hair all the way down my neck. It was now dawning on me how utterly ridiculous I was in the cafe.

We were walking towards the castle, our home, that afternoon. I walked ahead of them because Takumi was boasting about my lovely speech to his fan girl & I didn't want to be reminded.

'Told you she turns into a monster when she's jealous,' Aoi muttered quietly.

'Really scary,' Takumi agreed.

'Will you two ever shut up?' I snapped, turning around to glare at them.

'But it's kinda cute, eh? Who could've thought that Misaki-chii has that possessive side in her, too?'

'Yeah, I'm so lucky. Do you think she has that wild side too?'

'Wild side? What kind of wild side are you referring to? The wild as in wild personality or wild in bed-'

'I SAID SHUT UP ALREADY!'

**:::**

**12/22/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:**  
**

Hi, guys! Yes, it's me, the author of this story. I'm still alive & I'm here again with the latest chapter.

I know, I know, I'm sorry for the late update. Mr. Christian Grey got me sidetracked, hahaha!

Originally, I planned Takumi to be the jealous one since I like to experiment with his personality. But then, I would have to take Shintani to do the job & that means another character to add. I want to keep this story as little characters as possible because I'm not good at interacting vast characters into one story. I hope you get what I mean. And besides, I don't want to disturb Shintani's & Suzuna's love story [yes, I'm shipping them]. Hahaha!

Oh, and yes, the unnamed character last chapter was Aoi. Congratulations to those who guessed it right! [Here's a box of chocolates for you, folks.]

Aoi was just a sort of a visitor guest & he won't be appearing in the future chapters.

I hope you like it & I hope you didn't mind the long chapter. Please understand some mistakes, OOCness, cheesiness or otherness there, LOL!

Thank you for reading, reviewing, following & favoriting. I seriously love all those reviews. Thank you so much!

Hai, I'll see you again on Christmas [hopefully].

Sarabaja~!


	21. Interesting Christmas Dessert

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 21: Fiddling Fingers Under Interesting Christmas Dessert**

**:::**

Christmas has always been one of my favorite seasons here in the kingdom of Zelawien. It's always lively here. The twinkling lights are fascinating & the decorations in town are just so right.

A few days after Aoi came to visit & annoyed the living crap out of me, the royal family invited us for a dinner in the castle.

Of course my parents didn't hesitate at all, but I'm a completely different story. I was actually thinking of calling sick for that day. Gathering our parents in the same room is a bad idea. Very bad. Not on the top of my "to do" list.

But I couldn't escape their clutches now as they greeted us by the huge door of their home. The only positive side of all this was Takumi will be there, too. I didn't see him much after the Aoi event.

And there he was, smiling his megawatt smile at me. My heart pounded erratically. How does he manage to have that effect on me?

He was drop-dead gorgeous in the simple black suit & pants. After politely greeting my parents, he stopped in front of me, still wearing his charming smile. His eyes were smoldering liquid emerald.

'Hi,' he whispered.

'Hi,' I breathed, blushing like a tomato.

'You look especially lovely tonight, Misaki,' he brushed a loose tendril of my pinned hair from my cheek. My heart jumped at the skin contact. Geez, what's happening to me?

'That she is,' the king agreed. He approached us & kissed my cheek, filling me with tear-jerking paternal love. His goddess of a wife hugged me & she looked at me fondly.

After the brief greetings, they led us to the dining hall. Takumi held my hand, intertwining our fingers in a romantic way.

'I like your dress. White really suits you,' he complimented quietly as we fell behind the adults.

'T-thank you,' I blushed. I was wearing a long-sleeved baby-collared dress that flowed down just before my knees. It was made of thick cotton for cold winter. Simple but really cute & cozy. I wore my favorite white flats which has a large pale pink bow on each.

'So, uhm... what's up?' I started casually. It has been a few days since I talked to him properly & I kind of miss him [yes, I did].

'I think,' he leaned down close to my ear & lowered his voice, 'they'll be having us for dessert.'

I scrunched up my nose, 'I figured it out that much.'

He chuckled & sighed. 'I missed you,' he said. Heat spread through my body, concentrating on my cheeks.

I couldn't hide my smile. _So it wasn't just me, _I thought gleefully. 'I missed you, too,' I said shyly as I gently squeezed his hand.

His answering smile was dazzling.

* * *

The castle's dining hall was blazing with homey warmth & lulling calmness.

Takumi, as gentleman as he was, pulled a chair & offered it to me.

'Thanks,' I smiled. He sat beside me & took my hand. He fiddled with my fingers under the table as we wait for our food to be served.

I didn't mind him as we had one side of the table by ourselves, away from the prying eyes of our parents. My mom & dad occupied the other side with the queen & the king sat on the head.

Before the food was served, I smelled the heavenly fragrance of roasted turkey & all the other mouthwatering dishes, courtesy of Takeru-san, the head chef of the castle.

Takumi reluctantly dropped my hand with a small pout on his lips.

'Here, let me,' he took the serving utensils from the dishes & gracefully filled my plate.

'Thank you,' I beamed at him. I realized our parents were watching us with gooey eyes & I bet they were squirming inside like hardcore fan girls. I wanted to roll my eyes.

We dutifully ignored them & ate our sumptuous dinner. Not before long, they started to dig in, too & immersed themselves in a casual conversation. I sighed in relief.

'Do you want some orange juice, my lady?' Takumi smirked at me playfully.

'Yes, please,' I smirked back, holding out my glass. He poured out some & I took a sip.

'How are you these past days?' He asked, tucking my stubborn raven locks behind my ear & successfully making my heart jump again.

'Fine. Boring,' I shrugged nonchalantly.

'Bored without me?'

'Hmm, possibly,' I smiled. 'Don't give me that look, your highness,' I added as he grinned smugly.

'We have to do something about that boredom of yours, don't we?'

'Huh?'

He smiled mysteriously, 'you'll see.'

I pursed my lips, 'okay, fine.'

'Ahem.'

Someone pierced our little bubble. We looked up & our parents were watching us.

_Uh-oh. Is it dessert time already? _I glanced at Takumi, he had his poker face to hide his annoyance.

'So, kids, how are things between you two?' My dad asked.

I wanted to kick him from under the table & glared at him to shut up. But I wouldn't do that in front of the king & queen.

'We're good,' I answered rather pointedly.

'Sorry for keeping Takumi away from you these past couple of days, Misa-chan,' the king sincerely apologized which was a bit funny. Why was he apologizing? It's not like I'm going to die if Takumi wasn't with me.

'Eh? N-no, your majesty, it's absolutely fine. I understand.'

'Maybe I should cut Takumi's work so he can be with you...' the king muttered as if he was really thinking hard.

_What?! _'Your majesty, it's okay. Really. No need to do that, it's alright-ah!' In my haste to put up with the eccentric king, my spoon flew out my hand. It jumped on my dress, slipping on my collar before clattering on the floor.

'Oh, dear,' my mom gasped.

I bent over to get it but Takumi beat me to it. 'I'll get it,' he said.

'I'm sorry,' I mumbled. A maid from somewhere appeared & brought me a clean spoon. 'Thank you,' I smiled at her.

'Honey, you got your dress stained with sauce,' the queen pointed to my collar.

'Oh, I'm sorry. I-I got it,' I snatched the table napkin but Takumi beat me again.

'Let me,' he wiped the stain off, his hand closely touching my neck & I had to suppress a shiver. He was smirking. Damn it.

'Aw, look at that, you two are so cute together,' the queen remarked with a squeal. The others murmured their agreement & started snickering.

'I'll definitely cut off some slacks for my son,' the king nodded.

Ah, geez! Stop it already.

I glanced helplessly at Takumi. And much to my annoyance, he seemed to be enjoying it, too. I sighed. Maybe because his dad's cutting off his workload.

'Ah, I remember the photos from the library last week,' the queen said dreamily.

Photo? Library? Last week? _Damn, was she talking about the photos taken by their paparazzi in the library?_

'They were so cute, weren't they?' My mom added with a giggle.

Shit, this is really troublesomely embarrassing.

I looked at Takumi with horrified expression. He grimaced then shrugged. He leaned back on his chair; his appetite must've left him as he played with my fingers again like it was the most fascinating toy ever. I'm sure as hell our parents will drop unconscious if they ever saw what the prince was doing.

'Our children are all grown up,' my dad sighed like the thought was a dream come true.

I wanted to stand & yell to them: _Shut up, old man! Stop being so melodramatic. Doesn't suit you. Now, all of you, Ziploc your mouth!_

'Ah, I already want to see a small Takumi running around the castle,' the queen suddenly blurted out.

Takumi's hands froze against mine under the table. He looked like he was poked right between his eyes.

Loading...

Loading...

Then, BOOM!

My brain had finished processing the information from the queen's mouth. I robotically turned my head to her.

We all stared at her with the same shell-shocked expression. The silence was deafening.

'What?' She cautiously looked at us, palms up like she was surrendering. 'It's just a thought!' She giggled.

My parents & the king sighed in relief.

'That's a scary thought,' my dad mumbled as he chugged down his glass of wine.

'That's too early for that thought,' the king agreed.

'Let them enjoy their youth first before prepping them of baby ideas,' my mom said.

'It's just a thought!' The queen pouted.

My scalp prickled & a shiver ran past my spine. Blush burned my face. _God, this is so not happening. _I looked helplessly at Takumi, his face was flushed, too.

We had a mental conversation that went something like this:

**T: **We need to evacuate this place, immediately.

**M:** How are we supposed to do that?

**T: **I'll think of something.

**M:** Think fast!

I gritted my teeth as I urgently squeezed his hand.

'We are a traditional family, aren't we? So marriage comes first before babies,' the king said as a matter of fact like he was discussing business.  
_  
__Marriage? _I gulped.

'Yes, yes, that sounds better,' my idiot dad agreed. I shot him a warning look which he just brushed off casually. _Oh, he's going to get it later, _I mentally took note.

I desperately glanced at Takumi, _hurry up! Get us out of here!__  
_  
The queen lightened up, 'oh! I always wanted a garden wedding-'

Takumi cleared his throat. 'Mom,' he smiled, 'that's nice but I think it's time for us to go.'

'Go? Go where?' The king asked.

'I want to show something to Misaki, if that's alright, Sakuya-san, Minako-san?' He flashed his I-am-so-darn innocent smile.

'Oh, is it a present for her?' My mother quipped.

_Present?_I cocked my head curiously.

Takumi just smiled & winked at my mom. She giggled like a two-year old.

'Okay. Have fun, kids!' My dad enthusiastically waved. 'Bring my daughter home safe & unpregnant.'

'DAD!' I shrieked.

The adults laughed out loud as a flustered Takumi dragged me out of the hell's dining hall.

* * *

Takumi smuggled me inside a dark room somewhere in the castle. I think it was a study or a library because the room smelled like stack of books & old papers.

He didn't bother turning the lights on as he led me past across the room to the balcony, overlooking the frozen garden. The place was picturesque from our viewpoint & the silence was perfect for a quiet conversation.

'Seriously, bringing our parents together in one room is not something I look forward to,' I said, looking up at the huge full moon above us.

'That wasn't so bad,' Takumi muttered beside me. He had thrown his black overcoat somewhere, loosened his tie & opened a few buttons of his white shirt. He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it more. He looked wild & ragged which suits him perfectly. He was so damn handsome it should be illegal.

'It was bad,' I insisted. 'They want us to get married and-and t-they want us to have c-children!' I blushed furiously.

Takumi didn't say anything at first. Then he pursed his lips & eyed me cautiously. 'Don't you want to marry me & have kids with me?' He asked quietly, giving me the big puppy-dog eyes & all that crap.

My heartbeat doubled & my breathing caught in my throat. _What the hell's he saying? Was that a marriage proposal? _I blinked at him; I think I was having an out-of-the-body experience.

'Don't you want to spend the rest of your life with me?' He inquired. God, he was so irresistible when he flash that alluring smile.

I swallowed. I tried to avoid his eyes & looked at my fingers. 'I-I don't know,' I admitted. 'I mean, it's still early to think about those things. We're too young for that, your highness,' I tried to explain my point.

'Well then, in five years' time, where do you think our relationship will be?' He asked softly. By the tone of his voice, I could tell that he was really curious...and hopeful.

I thought for a moment. _In five years' time, huh? _We're all grown up by that time & I sincerely hope I'm still with him. In a happy marriage, perhaps? Yes, I like that. I smiled secretly. But we wouldn't know for sure. Things aren't set on stones. Changes are inevitable.

'In five years' time, I hope I'm still with my beautiful Ayuzawa Misaki. But preferably, she'll be Usui Misaki by that time,' Takumi said, grinning happily.

I flushed. He was overly excited about this but I could sense that he was serious.

'You know, there are a lot of things that can happen in five years,' I said. 'What if, one day you wake up & you realized you don't want me, anymore?' My voice faded out as the thought sent my stomach plummeting at the speed of light. My breathing became faster & faster as million possibilities crossed my mind. 'Takumi, what if, you find the girl that was really meant for you-' I choked.

He hooked his finger under my chin & forced me to look at him. His green eyes seemed glowing.

Panic rise in my throat; unbearable scenes flash in my head. 'W-what if-'

'Ssshhh,' he put his index finger on my lips. 'If ever that day comes when I wake up & realize I don't want you, then I'll stay awake until that day passed so I don't have to wake up,' he smiled. 'But I highly doubt that day will come. As for the girl that was really meant for me, I think I already found her,' he encircled his arms around my waist & pulled me closer to his warm body.

My heart pounded erratically. I was sure he could feel it as I was pressed against him.

'Tell me, Misaki, where do you see us five years in the future?' He whispered in my ear, sending volts of electricity in every vein in my body.

I bit my lip, so many emotions hurling inside me. I fisted a handful of his shirt, pulled him to me & buried my face on the crook of his neck. I didn't realize I missed being this close to him.

'In five years' time,' I said softly against his neck, 'I still want to be with my prince.'

I felt his body shuddered as he laughed. He pulled away slightly & caught my face in his warm hands. He was smiling like an idiot. But I'm sure I was mirroring his expression, too.

He brushed my bottom lip, his eyes glinting brightly & as I watched with my own wide eyes, he kissed me.

Everything swirled & burst altogether like fireworks. An unexpected gasp escaped my throat as he bit my lower lip & pried it open with his tongue. He kissed me like he never kissed me before. It was full of love; full of passion... it took my breath away.

I cupped his face as the kiss deepened. His hand found its way to my waist & squeezed me closer. I felt his other hand slid up & down my back.

Still cupping his face, I reluctantly pull away when my lungs were screaming for air. I opened my eyes, flushed & panting. Takumi was breathing steadily. He rested his forehead on mine & affectionately bumped his nose against mine, eyes still close. He locked his arms around my waist.

'I miss this,' he murmured. I nodded slightly.

It seemed like eternity before he opened his eyes & stared at me.

'Misaki,' he said my name like it was the most precious thing in the world.

'Hm?'

'I love you.'

I smiled shyly, 'yeah... me too.' We all have that mushy moment, don't we?

'You are the very first girl I fell in love with & I want you to be the last one, too. I promise to make you happy, I offer you all of my heart & soul to love you for the rest of forever,' he paused. He let go of me & breathed deeply.

My skin started stinging. My hair stood on its end like an angry cat's fur. I was rooted on my feet.

_Uh-oh. This isn't good. Run, Misaki! _My mind screamed at me, for even with naivety, I know what comes next after that speech. But my thumping heart told me to stay & listen. I heard the roaring thunder of blood in my ears as the biggest idiot in the world slid down to his knee.

_Oh. My. God. This isn't happening! _I stared at him with popping eyes. My throat tightened. I didn't know what to do. I was having a coronary attack on the spot.

'Misaki,' I managed not to squeak when he called me softly. He looked up to me & looked at me straight to my soul. 'In five years' time, will you marry me?'

'Eh?' I hang my mouth open.

Somehow, I felt a twinge of relief; _not now. Still within five years, _I mentally sighed. I thought I might throw into a shotgun marriage with all that sudden proposal.

Takumi took my hands & grasped it tightly; 'will you be my wife five years in the future?'

'Aren't we too eager, your highness?' I giggled nervously.

'Early bird catches the worm,' he smirked & stood, wrapping his arms around me again.

I made a face, 'I hate that quotation.'

He chuckled & sighed. 'So what would be your answer, my lady?' He prompted, looking at me with those big, emerald eyes.

Every fiber in my body was screaming _YES!_But a nagging part of me was creeping up my nerves: am I ready for that? Sure, it's still half a decade to go but aren't we setting out too far in the future? Can we really do this?

Five years... that would make me 21 & Takumi will be 22. Whoa. That's still pretty young.

_So, what now?_ My stupid-but-almost-logical part of me tapped her foot impatiently & glared. _Are you going to dwell on the fact that you're both too young for this? Don't tell me you can't handle this marriage because you're too young? That's just plain stupid. Can you see yourself five years in the future without Takumi? You said it yourself you want to be with him. Damn it; just give him a fucking 'yes' already!__  
_  
'Yes!' I said too abruptly after that long speech from my stupid-but-almost-logical part of me.

'Yes?' Takumi widened his eyes in surprise.

'Yes,' I nodded. The spreading smile on his lips was infectious.

'Well then!' He beamed & glanced at the clock, '10:26pm, December 24th, five years from now, I expect you to be in your wedding gown.'

I burst out laughing at his craziness & then he joined in, too.

'That is some plan you got there, your highness,' I chuckled.

'Yeah,' he breathed as he touched my cheek & kissed it earnestly. His nose slowly, sensually glided along my jaw, heightening my senses to the maximum level. I fought a shiver that was threatening to surge my body.

'Thank you,' he whispered & bit softly on the soft spot under my ear. We stayed tangled together until he suddenly pulled away as if remembering something.

'I almost forgot my present for you,' he said.

'You got present for me?' I asked stupidly. These past days had been busy & distracting I forgot to get him a Christmas present.

'I'll go get it. Wait for me here, don't go anywhere,' he put a chaste kiss on my cheek before disappearing.

Takumi came back not a minute later. In his arms was a big, fluffy white... stuff toy?

'What's that?' I frowned at him curiously. The big, fluffy thing in his arms was not exactly a stuff toy. Or a Teddy bear for that matter. But it has a pair of arms & legs without hands or feet. It has a rectangular body & a square-shaped head.

Takumi held it out so I can see the face. And I doubled over, clutching my stomach as I laughed out loud.

On the square head of the stuffed humanoid, was a picture of the crown prince, smiling. It was fitted so it looked exactly like a stuffed robot version of Takumi.

'Here, it's for you,' he gave it to me & I was still giggling when I engulfed it in a big hug. It was so soft & surprisingly, it smelled just like him.

'What's with the weird gift?' I grinned.

'You said you're bored without me, so...' he shrugged.

'I just told you that earlier before dinner.'

'I figured it out that much. Besides, that stuff is multipurpose. You can stare at it as long as you can when you miss me,' he smirked. 'Or you can hug it at night since I am not allowed to sleep on your bed, yet-'

'Yet?' I raised an eyebrow.

'You can also beat that up instead of me whenever you got pissed at me.'

'That's cute,' I giggled again as I crushed the stuff Takumi in my arms. _Hmm, so soft.__  
_  
'I'm sorry. I forgot to get you a gift,' I mumbled. I am a very nice girlfriend, aren't I? Forgetting to buy her own boyfriend a present for the first Christmas they're together. Great.

Takumi flicked his finger on my forehead. 'Your positive answer is more than a gift,' he said.

I blushed. Then, gathering up my courage, I stood on my toes & gave him a kiss square on the lips.

'Thank you,' I whispered. I swear I could see a faint redness across his cheeks. I had taken him by surprise. I giggled.

He smiled & shook his head slightly as if something amused him. He caught my free hand & kissed my knuckles.

'Come on. I promised your dad I'll bring you home safe & _unpregnant._Let's go now, before I do something really stupid,' he said quietly.

'Pervert,' I muttered, blushing beet red as we made it out the dark room.

**:::**

**12/25/12 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

Merry Christmas!

Hai, just as promised, another sort-of-Christmas-special chapter update for you! I hope you like it. Treat it as a present for my ever-loyal readers :)

I actually managed to write this whole thing out within almost three days. I practically squeezed my brain out to make this, you know? Hahaha!

Anyway, the humanoid stuffed Takumi was my sister's idea. I was bashed up thinking of something that might be a nice & romantic gift for Misaki & I thought of a necklace. But it was too typical & boring, so I asked my sister. And that was her answer. She said she got the idea from the Korean TV series, "Princess Hours".

So, how was the drop-bomb marriage proposal of our prince? That was really unexpected. Was it too mushy? Hahaha!

It's already 2:31 am here & my eyes are drooping, I hope you appreciate my little gift for you & my hard work for this, teehee!

Thanks a lot & once again: HAPPY, MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!


	22. Please, Can You Keep Our Secret?

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Chapter 22: Please, Can You Keep Our Secret?**

**:::**

_Five years later..._

Takumi brushed a stray lock of hair from my face & softly tucked it under my ear. I could feel his warm breath trailing on my cheek as he hovered so close to me.

'I'm going to kick you in the gut if you keep on sniffing me like that, your highness,' I mumbled sleepily, trying to push him away.

I heard his low chuckle. Then he bit my ear. Hard.

'OW! Damn it!' I snapped open my eyes. I was momentarily blinded by the bright sun rays streaming through the trees. I squinted pointedly at him.

'What the hell do you want?'

'Don't sleep on me,' he pouted.

'Well, maybe if you didn't drag me out here so freaking early in the morning, I would have the strength to stay awake right now,' I rolled over to my side, away from him.

'Aw, Misa-chan...' he whined, poking my side. I swatted his hand.

'Stop or I'll smash your hand to pieces.'

'Wakey, wakey, Misa-chan!' He continued to poke me. I groaned & abruptly sat up from my lying position.

'What?!' I snapped. Who could've thought that five years has already passed & Prince Takumi is still pestering the living lights out of my miserable life. Hmm, let me rephrase that: who could've thought that five years has already passed & I am _still _with the perverted prince.

He deployed his ultimate weapon by morphing his face into a lost puppy's. He knew I couldn't resist this evil method.

I buried my face in my palms & sighed exasperatedly.

Takumi sat crossed leg in front of me. He pulled my hands away and his emerald eyes stared intently on my amber ones, like he was trying to converse to me with his eyes. 'Don't be mad. I just want to talk to you & kiss you & hug you all day long,' he said sweetly.

I made a face.

Takumi reached over & plucked something from my hair.

The simple gesture stirred a memory that actually made me smile. A long-distant memory that marked the beginning of our story. I chuckled softly.

'What's so funny?' Takumi asked, still picking something out of my hair.

'You,' I answered.

'And why is that?'

'Don't you remember?' I cocked my head curiously, 'you did that to me when we first met. Surprisingly, this is also the place...' I looked fondly around the meadow.

Our secret meadow.

It was early spring & everything was on the bloom after a long, cold winter. The breeze was cool & smelled lovely.

Takumi smiled & nodded, reminiscing the moment. He grasped my hands & guided it to rest my palms on the either side of his cheeks.

The wind blew as comfortable silence engulfed us.

'I was thinking...' he started casually.

'Yeah?' I stroked my thumbs across his soft cheeks & felt it grew warmer against my skin.

'...that I want to marry you here,' he grinned at me.

'Oh.' So he was thinking of the wedding now, huh? Eager as ever. 'Well, okay, if that's what you want. Bring out the priest & I'll say 'I do',' I smiled widely.

He chuckled, 'this would be a wonderful place for our wedding, don't you think?'

I scrunched up my nose & I clicked my tongue. 'Uh... I don't think meadow wedding is such a good idea in the middle of winter,' I said.

He thought for a moment. 'Let's do it this spring, then!' He said enthusiastically.

'Eager as ever,' I murmured as I softly pinched his cheeks.

He pursed his lip, 'well, since you agreed to this-' he tapped the base of my throat where the ring he gave me hung from my necklace '-and it's already been five years... why don't we do it now?'

His wide eyes were shimmering with different colors like the idea really fascinates him. He looked like a cute little boy that is very hard to resist.

'You really want to have our wedding here?'

'I like the way you said 'our wedding',' he kissed my wrist.

I rolled my eyes.

'Yes, I want to. In fact, I want to right at this very moment,' he said playfully.

I thought for approximately two seconds. 'Okay. Fine,' I shrugged. Well, honestly, I don't care when or where. It's fine with me as long as _he _is my groom.

'Really?' He perked up.

'Yeah,' I smiled at his childish expression.

He grinned & threw me in a bear hug, kissing my hair, my shoulder & practically everywhere his lips can reach.

'Let me breath, Takumi!' came my muffled voice. He released me & he was literally sparkling with joy. Geez, it was like the whole accepting-the-engagement-ring episode all over again.

'Thank you,' he whispered & kissed me senseless. Oh, boy was panting heavily when he pulled away.

'You're going to tell our parents about the wedding, I'm not going to say anything. They're all yours,' I said, palms up like surrendering.

Takumi chuckled, 'they're going to flip if they knew we're getting married.'

Takumi & I managed to keep our little marriage agreement from that Christmas dinner five years ago. Neither of our parents knew about it & I could only imagine their reactions when we drop the bomb on them.

My eyes widened as a sudden crazy idea popped in my head.

'Takumi...' I shook him as he seemed to be in deep thought. Probably he was thinking about how to break our five-year long engagement to our parents.

'Hm?'

'Why don't we keep our wedding a secret?'

'And then tell our parents that we're already married? That's more difficult to say than to tell them we're engaged for five years,' he laughed.

'No! That's not what I meant. I'm thinking of _showing_ it to them rather than _telling _them,' I smirked.

'When you say _show to them_, you mean...' he narrowed his eyes as he looked at me suspiciously.

'Kidnap them, bring them here right in the middle of the ceremony, preferably at the part where we say 'I do' & then, BAM! That's it!' I snickered. 'Oh, I will pay hell just to see their faces!'

Takumi's lips slowly formed into his signature smirk. 'Why, Misa-chan, you're really sly.'

'Am I?' I smirked back.

'You're going to give them a massive heart attack,' he chuckled.

I bet my eyes twinkled as I nodded.

'So, the main idea is to set up the wedding here _secretly_... then, we'll somehow make them come here at the exact moment we say 'I do'?'

'Yup! That's pretty much the main idea,' I nodded excitedly.

Takumi beamed. 'I like that.'

'You want to do it this spring? Then we'll have to make the plan _now_,' I said.

'Eager, are we?' He smiled.

I bit my lip, suppressing the tingling feeling of excitement from bursting into giggles. Gosh, I don't think I ever get excited this much!

'This will give us a nice excuse for a small wedding,' he said.

I nodded vigorously. 'And _we _are going to plan everything without the help of some unnecessary hands,' I added. I was referring to my mom & the queen for that matter. Wow, so many positive sides from this secret wedding. I love it.

Takumi went all business mode. 'First, we need to have a good accomplice for this secret mission...'

* * *

_A week before summer heat began..._

The meadow was unrecognizable. I mean it was still our meadow but with a whole new look.

The untamed grass was trimmed. The littered branches & twigs were removed. The uneven patches of soil were fixed.

Wedding canopies flared above my head. The pastel colors of it matched the greenery of the forest. Blooming flowers were everywhere, attracting hundreds of butterflies swirling around like confetti; birds were chirping along with the spring melody of nature; bunnies & squirrels shyly peeking from the trees, probably wondering what the hell's going on in their home.

Pleasant morning light washed the meadow, completing the magical atmosphere of our carefully-and-thoroughly planned secret wedding.

Fairytale was our motif. It was Takumi's idea. Actually, everything was his idea, including my dress. Believe it or not, he designed it...

* * *

_'Come on, Misa-chan! I promise to make you a beautiful, miracle, unbelievable-'_

_'You're unbelievable!' I laughed. 'Why can't you just let a legitimate designer to do that?'_

_'But I want to do it. I know what fits you best,' he insisted._

_'You sound like a gay, you know,' I looked at him with fake suspicions._

_He looked hurt, 'what, can't a real guy design a wedding gown for his fiancé?'_

_'Tell the truth, are you a gay?' I teased._

_He pouted angrily, 'that's it! I'm going to make you a very ugly gown.' He childishly stuck out his tongue at me._

_'The crown prince is a gay! Gay, gay, gay!' I sang playfully._

_'No, I am absolutely not,' he huffed. He took a pencil & started sketching on a piece of paper._

_'Gay,' I continued to tease him & shoved him with my shoulder._

_'Misaki,' he sighed exasperatedly. 'You're ruining my drawing.'_

_'Gay.'_

_'No, I'm not.'_

_'Gay, gay, gay.'_

_He put the pen down & shot me his famous shiver-down-your-spine, oh-so-evil cold stare. 'Say that again & I'll rape you.'_

_I gasped. 'I'm shutting up,' I held up my hands & scooted away from him._

* * *

I chuckled at the memory.

But I gotta say the dress was perfect. Since our wedding was fairytale-inspired, Takumi made a fairy's outfit for me.

The white dress was princess style, bursting like a romantic tutu from my waist & stopping just before my knees. I remembered Takumi complaining about how thin I am & that the skirt would complement my skinny frame.

The multi-layered tulle skirt hung unevenly, giving it a sophisticated tattered look, just like a forest fairy. I could see hints of different colors from it: light green, pastel pink & lavender. The top was a simple white tube that hugged my body tightly. It has sparkling flower designs all over.

Takumi was considerate enough to let me wear ballerina flats. He knew how difficult it was to walk on high heels in the middle of a forest.

A pink-and-white flower crown encircled my head. My hair was done in loose wavy curls. Both my wrists had flower bracelets. Good thing I didn't have the usual bouquet a bride holds because I will totally look like a walking colony of flowers.

I exhaled, smoothened an imaginary wrinkles in my beautiful dress & I was ready to say my vows.

But where is my groom?

I walked in the meadow, looking for Takumi. Some of our helpful servants were busy putting the final touches. They were also dressed like fairies & elves. I giggled. They looked so cute.

Our wedding was really small, like about 20 people in total. They were already here, wandering around since the ceremony hadn't started yet.

Everything was going smoothly.

Wait, except for Aoi.

'MISAKI-CHII!' His voice blasted from somewhere & I felt him slammed on me.

'Ow!' I yelped.

'I can't believe you! I thought you were my friend...' he sobbed while hugging me fiercely.

_Oh, boy. There we go again, _I rolled my eyes. The poor boy, I must've hurt his feelings for keeping the wedding info from him. His blue eyes bulged out of his skull when he arrived in our meadow earlier. He was shocked like an electrified cat, especially when he saw me.

'Aoi-chan, I'm sorry for keeping this from you. Don't worry; you're not the only one left out, okay? Stop being such a drama queen.'

'But I wanted to design your wedding gown,' he whined, stomping his foot childishly.

'Oh, come on! It's just a wedding gown,' I patted his back. 'Don't you like what I'm wearing?'

He stopped for a millisecond to look at me then he started wailing again. 'You look absolutely stunning it makes me cry harder! Oh, Misaki-chii... I can't believe it. I can't believe my amazonic friend is marrying the prince,' he sniffed.

I fought the urge to punch him in the face. 'Gee, thanks,' I mumbled.

'Who designed this?' Aoi touched my skirt with admiration.

'You won't believe this but Takumi designed it.'

Aoi blinked. His mouth slacked open. 'You're kidding,' he said.

'No.'

'That guy is really...' he shook his head as if he was having a migraine.

'Yeah, I know, right? Unbelievable.'

Aoi looked at me fondly & sighed, 'you're so beautiful.'

'Thank you,' I said sincerely. 'Now, will you stop slamming yourself on me for every chance you got? I have to find Takumi.'

'Oh, sure,' he smiled, kissed my cheek & ran off.

I blew out my air sharply. _Where the hell's that perverted alien?_

'Looking for me?' A voice startled me from behind. I whipped around & found my prince smirking at me.

He was gorgeous in his traditional get up which composed of cream-colored button-up shirt under a light brown vest. He wore simple brown trousers & leather shoes. Fallen leaves stuck awkwardly on his messy blond locks.

'Hi,' he gave me a breathtaking smile.

'Hey,' I smiled back & reached over to brush leaves off his head. 'Where were you?'

'I sent off Saya-chan to fetch our parents,' he said.

I gasped, 'really?'

'Yeah, so we have approximately one hour to go before they come barging in here.'

'Oh.' I paled. A sudden plummeting feeling coursed through my body. I felt like the earth was yanked off my feet. _God, this is it._

'My pretty Misaki is nervous,' he teased as he took my now-turning ice cold hands.

'A bit,' I admitted.

'If our parents dropped dead on their feet, I'll say it's your fault,' he joked, trying to light up the mood.

'Well, _you _agreed!' I said incredulously.

He laughed & pulled me in a hug, 'of course. It's amazing, isn't it?' He kissed my hair.

'Uh huh. Perfect,' I murmured against his neck, inhaling his unique Takumi scent.

'Father Seiji is all set,' he whispered.

Father Seiji was the super, mega kind elderly priest that graciously accepted our request to wed us in the middle of a forest. He was in the secret, too.

'We'll start now?' I sounded whiny.

'If you want to,' he chuckled.

'Give me five minutes. Let's stay like this for a while,' I pressed myself tighter against him, bringing my arms around him.

'Are you stalling on me, Ayuzawa?' He teased.

'Hmm... possibly,' I whispered. I felt his finger poked my ribs. I giggled like a three-year old.

'Come on, now... before I decided to ditch this wedding & take you away. And we don't want our guest waiting,' he pulled away, smirking. He intertwined our fingers & made our way towards the make-shift altar. I didn't have the traditional walk-down-the-aisle bride. The ceremony would start straight at the moment we stood at the altar.

'They can wait a lifetime for all I care,' I muttered.

Takumi stopped dead on his track. He stared at me amusedly, 'first, you want a secret wedding. Second, you're about to give our parents a surprise that would last them a life time. And now, you want to run away? Misa-chan is so sly.'

'Oh, must be from a certain perverted alien I know,' I shrugged nonchalantly.

* * *

Everyone gathered around when they spot us on the altar. Aoi was there with Aunt Satsuki. He looked like a crack addict with those tear-brimmed red eyes. My friend Suzuna was there, too, looking radiant & healthy. But her face remained impassive. She was sitting with Shintani, another childhood friend. Were they holding hands? Hm, later's the time for The Inquisition. I've got something important I must do first... what was it again? Oh, yes. I have to say my 'I do' at the right moment.

Takumi & I stood face to face. I took an insanely huge breath, trying to stop my heart from pumping too much adrenalin in my system.

'Are you two ready?' The priest broke our staring contest as he leaned slightly towards us & whispered.

The prince smiled & reassuringly squeezed my hand. 'Yes, Father. We're ready.'

The elderly smiled at us & cleared his throat silently.

'At this wonderful day, we are all gathered together here to witness...'

I drew out the priest's speech as nervousness crept on every fiber of my body. Everything went flashing through my mind like a high-definition documentary, starting from that ill-fated day I met the prince up to all the secret preparations for this marriage.

_Am I dying? Why do I have all these flashbacks?_

The thought of our parents' possible reactions sent me into emotional roller coaster. I felt anticipation & excitement at the same time, I felt scared & guilty. What if they dropped unconscious on their feet once they realized what's going on? What if they didn't really want us to marry? What if they went berserk? Or worse, call off the wedding. I silently gasped at that thought.

'Uhm, excuse me?' I said, effectively cutting off whatever Father Seiji was saying.

Takumi whipped his head to look at me, his emerald eyes wide with surprise & curiosity.

'Yes, my dear?' The kind priest frowned at me.

'I'm sorry, Father Seiji, but I think you better start asking who's against our union _before_ our parents arrive & decided to blast this marriage,' I said.

The priest blinked his gray eyes in confusion. Takumi bit his lip as he tried to conceal his laughter His face turned a funny shade of pink. Our guests chuckled.

'What? I'm serious,' I insisted.

'What makes you think our parents would object?' Takumi chuckled.

I puffed my cheeks childishly. 'I don't know. I mean, I... oh, just say it, Father,' I groaned.

'Very well,' the priest said exasperatedly. 'If any person can show just caused why they may not be joined together, speak now or forever hold your peace.'

There was silence.

Then someone from our few audiences raised a hand. Takumi & I widened our eyes.

A surge of ten-foot tall wave of irritation washed over me as I realized who it was.

Aoi raised his hand higher. He looked tensed. 'I...' he started in a hesitant voice.

I shot him a negative 15 degree-Celsius what-do-you-think-you're-doing look.

He quivered his lower lip like he was about to cry. And then he exhaled, slumping back on his seat, waving his hand dismissively as if the topic was so boring. 'Never mind.'

_What?!_ Was he playing games? My blood boiled. Does he really have to tease me on _my _wedding day? Takumi just laughed freely along with the guests.

'Can someone tie him up on that tree?' I pointed at the large tree a few meters away from the meadow. 'Gag him if you must. He can stay silent until the ceremony's over.'

More laughs.

'Ahem,' Father Seiji coughed. He looked at us disapprovingly like we were naughty kids. He sighed, 'alright, apart from him, does anyone else? No one? Here's your chance to object to this marriage because after today, you better shut the hell up.'

A collective gasped came from practically everyone in the meadow. I froze on my feet as I stared unbelievingly at the priest. Takumi looked equally stunned. Never in my life had I ever heard a priest cursed. No one reacted to his question, probably they were too shock from his way of wordings.

'Good. Now, let us proceed,' he declared.

I pressed my lip into a hard line to keep me from giggling. Takumi squeezed my hand & smiled amusedly.

The ceremony went on. The part where we should say our vows were nearing & I could feel my heart slowly coming to a frantic pounding. Knowing that my parents & his parents would be there at that moment [Sayaka will definitely make sure the timing is perfect], my stomach clenched excitedly & nervously.

God, what would their reactions be? They've absolutely got no idea about this. We were very careful not to drop any hint of what's going on in our relationship. They were satisfied enough to hear that everything's great between us.

I just hoped they have strong hearts to take it all. Oh, I wish we had some kind of shock absorber.

Before I knew it, Father Seiji was asking the vital question.

'... do you, Prince Takumi, take this lovely young lady to be your lawful wedded wife, promising to love & cherish, through joy & sorrow, sickness & health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?'

My prince gave me his worth-a-billion smile. He took my hands & his twinkling emerald eyes stared deeply into my amber ones. 'With all my heart & soul, _I do_,' he vowed quietly but clear enough to hear throughout the meadow.

As if on cue, a group of chattering voice from somewhere nearby came. Everyone looked at the direction of the latecomers. My heart jumped in my throat, nearly choking me.

Our beloved parents stood there under the arching vines of roses that served as the entrance. They looked utterly confused.

Takumi snickered at their ultimate dumbfounded expression. I couldn't help but grinned smugly.

My half-way-there husband winked at me & we high-five loudly.

'I'm such a genius, am I not?' I smirked.

'Oh yeah, very clever,' he agreed.

We waved at them innocently, like: _hey, how nice of you guys, to drop by our wedding._

'W-w-what's the meaning of this?' My dad spluttered. Uh-oh, he was turning purple.

'What's going on here?' The king asked slowly, taking in his surroundings.

'Takumi-kun? Misaki?' My mom frowned confusedly. Her gaze jumped between us.

'Oh. My. God!' The queen squealed like a hardcore fan girl. In that instance, she was the only one who realized that they had just stepped into _our wedding._She clasped her hands over her mouth & her eyes sparkled. Then, tears sprung out from them.

'They're getting married!' She cried.

'What?!' The other three yelled simultaneously. And while they were busy processing the words, I turned to Father Seiji.

'Uh, Father, my answer is I do,' I whispered.

'Huh? W-what?' He looked like I just pulled him out of his lala land.

'Whatever your question is, my answer is, I do.'

'Oh! Right, right,' he said hastily. He cleared his throat. 'I now with divine blessings & authority vested upon me, joyfully pronounce you Husband & Wife. You may kiss your bride.'

Our parents turned stone on their feet, like the old priest just announced that the world in about to end in two seconds. I think that was a better reaction than having coronary attack.

But Husband & Wife were too preoccupied to care as they were already inside their own private bubble.

We were grinning widely like idiots. Takumi pulled me in his arms until our noses bumped. He cupped my face & brushed his thumbs against my cheeks.

'Mission accomplished,' he whispered.

'Job well done.'

And he kissed me for the first time as his wife.

* * *

You wouldn't want to know how our parents practically exploded in our faces when we'd finally talk to them. No, they weren't against the marriage. Hell, they were anticipating it from the moment we became an official couple. Somewhere between chapters 11 & 13 of our story.

They were enraged at the fact that we hid it from them. Especially the queen, who had a "wonderful wedding plans in her head." When I heard that, I was so glad we didn't tell her. Who knows what she had in mind for the wedding.

They were just too happy. So happy that they actually felt angry. But in the end, all was well.

'My little princess is all grown up & a married woman now,' my dad sobbed as he hugged me. I resisted my eyes from rolling.

'Dad, isn't it a man's dream to see his daughter get married?'

'No,' he pouted. 'It's a man's dream to walk his daughter down the aisle & personally handed her to the groom. Apparently, you ruined it.'

His childish face sent me into a giggling fit. 'Don't worry dad, I didn't walk down the aisle,' I assured him.

He just smiled & sighed. 'Seems like we got no other choice, huh? There's no turning back, you're a married woman now. Love, trust & happiness, that's all we wish for you both.'

I bit my lip & lurched myself at him. 'Oh, daddy! That's the most sensible words I've ever heard from you!'

'Alright, whose clever idea was this?' The king demanded.

Takumi jerked his thumb at me like, _don't look at me. It was her idea. _I nearly tackled him in an arm lock.

'I must admit, this is really cool. Wish I came up with that idea before I proposed to your mom,' he mused.

I sighed in relief. For a second, I thought he was going to punish me.

My mom kept on fussing about my gown. She totally loved it.

'Takumi designed it,' I said with pride.

'Wow! That's-' a wailing queen cut off whatever she wanted to say.

'But you still hide this from us! How could you?' She almost stomped her foot in frustration.

'Mom, take it as a revenge for all that embarrassing predicaments you threw us in,' Takumi smirked.

'Oh, all my wonderful wedding plans in my head...' she dramatically shook her head. Talk about the drama queen.

'Don't you like our wedding style?' Takumi asked innocently.

'That's the problem; I like it so much my heart feels like bursting!' She cried.

After suffering a few scolds & some more tear-jerking words of wisdom from them, they let us go for a dance because our guests were starting to _demand_ the married couple to dance first as said in the tradition.

'That went quite well,' Takumi murmured. He put his arms around my waist & pressed me against his chest.

'Hmm-mm, especially the part where my dad started yelling about me being pregnant & that is why we're having a shotgun marriage. I didn't miss the dangerous look my mom shot at you,' I laughed.

He chuckled a bit. 'Well, we anticipated their reactions to be something like that, don't we?'

'Yeah,' I leaned on him & listened to his beating heart instead of the music.

We weren't actually dancing. Heck, we hardly even moved from our ground & ignored the people watching us. We simply enjoyed each other's arms in our own world.

Then a polite tap came on his shoulder. It was my dad.

'You're monopolizing the bride,' he said playfully. 'Mind if I dance with her?'

'Oh, of course, Sakuya-san.' Takumi gave my hand to him almost reluctantly.

'What are you saying? You married my daughter! You should call me 'dad',' he complained.

I swear Takumi blushed. 'Erm, yes, uh... The evil queen will curse me if I didn't dance with her.' He smiled at me before walking away.

* * *

After my dad, Aoi came up to dance with me. I didn't forget to whack him upside the head for his little 'speak now' scene. The king danced with me, too. Just like my old man, he insisted me on calling him 'dad'.

It turned out I danced with everyone else in the guest list.

Then Sayaka & Aoi paired up to gather round the guests & started hosting silly games, ranging from childish to pervert. My cheeks hurt from laughing so much.

Even with just a small number of people, we managed to pull a very fun reception.

'Are you tired?' Takumi asked once I found myself in his arms again.

'Not really. I'm having fun,' I beamed.

His smile was just the most beautiful thing in the whole wide universe. 'That's great,' he nuzzled my nose with his & peppered my face with soft kisses.

'I love you,' he whispered.

'I think that's quite obvious, seeing how we're standing here right now,' I remarked.

'Well, I'm sorry but that's all I really know.'

I laughed, 'yeah, I know that, too.'

'You certainly didn't know that when we were here the first time,' he said. His eyes shining like jewels.

'Who would've even known that the stupid perverted alien I met here five years ago would end up as my husband?'

He thought for a moment. 'The cat,' he answered.

'Huh?'

'The cat, Robert.'

'A cat,' I said. 'Named Robert.'

'Yes. I think he knew.'

'Okay...?' I stared at him cautiously. 'Are you high on drugs?'

He laughed. 'I'm not into drugs,' he assured. 'Have you ever wondered how we both end up here at the same time?'

'Actually... no.'

'Hmm, I think Robert did that on purpose so I could meet you.'

'Did what on purpose?'

'He scratched me... yeah, that little devil swiped his full-drawn claws across my chest,' he chuckled.

I blinked at him. I was seriously beginning to doubt his mental capacity. My expression must've been funny as he laughed & tightened his arms around me.

'Did you ever wonder why I bumped into you on the summer day five years ago?' He asked.

'Uh, no.'

'Really? Not ever?' He prompted.

I made a face, 'well, maybe I did. But I don't really give a damn.'

'Okay, I'll tell you. Five years ago, mom had a cat-'

'Robert,' I snickered.

'-yes, Robert. He was a cat from hell & for some unknown reasons, he hated me about 80% more than my mom-'

'How is he related to us meeting here?'

'Will you let me finish?'

'Sorry,' I mumbled. 'Alright, carry on, your highness.'

'Anyway, I really wanted to hold him, so after a few hours of chasing him around the castle, I finally caught him.'

I nodded, urging him to continue.

'So, I caught him. The moment I lifted him up close to me, he swung his claws on me. It pissed me off big time & I sort of threw him out the window,' he shrugged.

'You threw Robert out the window?' I asked in surprise. I never took Takumi as a violent person. But then again, everyone has their own 'snappy moments'. Poor cat.

'Yes,' he laughed. 'It earned me a week of detention in my room. I wasn't allowed to leave without the queen's permission.'

A memory resurfaced in my head: the first time he took me bungee-jumping-without-ropes somewhere in chapter 6. I remembered him saying it wasn't his first time doing it.

'I'm guessing you ditched the guards & escaped the castle,' I said.

'Yup!' He smiled widely. 'I raced a marathon with them. I ran to the forest & then I bumped into this girl,' he concluded as he dipped down swiftly to peck my lips. 'Robert did me a really huge favor.'

'Yeah,' I grinned. 'Wherever he is, God bless his soul.'

'So, what were you doing here while I was being chased by the palace guards?' He inquired.

'Hmm, let's see,' I racked my head for that particular memory. What was I doing here at that time? It was something about...

'Ah, I remembered! I went here to pick some flowers. I usually go here every spring but during those times, we were preparing to move to the castle. We were busy so I ended up visiting here n early summer,' I explained.

Takumi nodded, 'oh, that's interesting.'

'Really? I think Robert is much more interesting,' I chuckled & sighed. 'Hm, I think that pretty much concluded how I met the prince.'

'To think that a cat set us up...' he muttered.

I smiled & snuggled closer to him. 'We don't want to waste Robert's hard work, do we? So let's stay like this forever,' I whispered against his neck.

'Forever,' he agreed as he kissed my shoulder, hugging me tighter.

Here I was, secured in his warm, loving arms, on our wedding day & surrounded by the people I hold dear. How could I ever ask for more?

This was more than bliss. The feeling like you have all the happiness & love in the world, it was a sensation no money can buy. A sensation I would trade anything for.

'I love you,' I said with all the sincerity I could muster.

He cupped my face; his touches sent tingling feeling against my skin. His eyes were smoldering. 'As I love you,' he whispered & kissed me passionately, like love & lust mixed together.

Takumi nibbled my lower lip & glided his tongue along, pleading my mouth to open. The kiss went insanely intense as we fought for dominance. His hands were all over my exposed skin, leaving my hypersensitive skin ablaze.

_I can get used to this, _I thought. I smirked through the kiss when I felt him jolt slightly when I playfully bit his tongue.

Yep, I can get used to this.

**:::**

**1/12/13 OWARI**

**:::**

SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:

At long last, I finally, _finally _finished this!

Hai, there goes your happily ever after! How was that for an ending? This is the most difficult ending I've ever written. I really did my best but I know there are still mistakes & totally lame moments. Even so, I hope you like it.

This is it, guys; 'How I Met the Prince' officially ends here. Thank you for supporting my story until now. You have no idea how much it means to me. For all the time you spend reading this; all the views, reads, reviews, favorites & follows; your patience in waiting my updates... THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

And I'm taking back what I said about ceasing to write fanfic. I made a promise to my readers in my OHSHC fic that I will be revising it, so I guess my original stories have to wait. Again.

Of course, I will also post a couple of short one-shots & drabbles under maid-sama fic because I just can't leave my royal couple! Hahaha! Please look forward to it. Thank you!

Ja~ natsu_no_sora signing off.

**PS: **Just ask Mr. Google if you don't know the dress terms I used to describe Misaki's dress. Then stitch them together and voila! You have the dress!

* * *

'I was wondering,' Takumi started.

'About?'

'We planned our wedding but we forgot to plan our honeymoon.'

'Oh.' For some obvious reason, I flushed. Oh god, what comes after marriage?

Takumi smirked mischievously. 'Misa-chan is blushing,' he teased. Then he leaned down & sensually glided down his nose along my jaw line, successfully making me shiver.

'H-hey,' I stuttered.

'Hmmm,' he hummed as he started nibbling the soft spot on my neck.

'Takumi...' I almost whined. He was making me feel so helpless & weak. He was turning my legs into jelly. 'Stop it! There are people watching,' I warned in a hushed whisper.

He straightened up & laughed, 'you're so easy to tease!'

'Shut up.'

'Don't worry, we have _a lot _of time to do that later,' he whispered seductively.

'Pervert,' I muttered.

'Hey, I am a guy, what do you expect? Do I have to make it more obvious?' He teasingly leaned down again.

'No, I get it! Stupid pervert.'

He laughed.

'You're enjoying this, huh?' I noticed.

'Of course, who wouldn't enjoy it? Knowing that I can finally do _it _with you,' he sneered.

'You & your dirty mind,' I shook my head. My face still burning with heavy blush; does he really have to say it that way?

'I don't have a dirty mind, I have a sexy imagination,' he countered.

I didn't have a good comeback so I rolled my eyes.

'Say, Misa-chan,' he said again after a few gaps of silence.

'What is it this time?' I asked exasperatedly.

He beamed. 'I want to have lots & lots of little Takumis & little Misakis running around the castle in the future.'

He said like it was the simplest thing in the world. His declaration took a few seconds before it registered in my head.

Then my eyes widened... 'EEHHHHH?!'

* * *

**PPS: **There will be extra chapters to be uploaded sooner or later :)


	23. Sora's Rambling Corner

**©Fujiwara Hiro**

Support her by buying her works. Maid-sama is available in English, so if you can buy, please do.

* * *

**:::**

**Extra Chapter: Sora's Rambling Corner**

**:::**

**Sora:** Hi, everyone! How are you? Thank you for coming to see me today. What? You didn't come here to see _me_? Then, who're you - *sigh* oh, never mind.

Anyway, as you may all know, "How I Met the Prince" just ended last chapter. Yeah, I know. It's really hard to let go since it was sort of like a break-through story for me. The support you've given to it was unbeatable -

**Staff-san: ***whispers urgently from the backstage* Sora, the stage is not yours to blabber on about your stupid story. The guests are waiting!

**Sora: **Huh? Oh, sorry. Just got carried away. *clears throat and turns to the audience* Okay, I gathered you guys, here today because I finally managed to snatch our lovely couple just before they completely vanish from the face of fanfiction.

Without further kinkery, please welcome, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Zelawien!

*fan girls extreme squealing*

_Prince Takumi and Princess Misaki step up on stage hand-in-hand._

*more fan girls' screams*

**Sora: **Okay, okay! Settle down, girls. Geez, you can beat a hoard of bleating goats!

*turns to the couple and smiles*

Welcome to my rambling corner, Your Majesties. Do take a seat, please. My name is Sora, the creature solely responsible for your existence.

**Takumi: ***raises eyebrow* I thought it was Fujiwara Hiro-san?

**Sora: ***widens eyes* What? Who told you?!

**Misaki: ***points upward* The copyright.

**Sora: **Busted! *laughs*

Well, anyway, let's greet a happy viewing to Fujiwara Hiro-san! *waves at the camera* She always watch my rambling corner.

**Takumi and Misaki: ***stares* ...

**Sora: **What? It's the truth. She always watch it.

**Takumi: ***nods* Okay, believe what you want.

**Misaki: ***nudges Takumi* Don't say that! You're so mean. Let the girl have her dream.

**Sora: ***narrows eyes then pulls out cellphone* Hello? Yes, it's me, natsu_no_sora... I'm buying Lala Publishing... Good. The first thing I want you to do is to drop the story "Kaichou wa Maid-sama" and make sure no other publishing company will accept-

**Takumi and Misaki: ***frantically waves at the camera and speak in high-pitched voices* Good morning, Fujiwara-san! How are you? We know you're always watching this wonderful TV show! You told us the other day you want to meet the famous Sora-chan, right? She's really, really cool and awesome!

**Sora:** *grins evilly* That's better.  
**  
****Staff-san: ***whispers from the backstage* Sora, your job is to interview them, not blackmail them!

**Sora: ***hisses* They started it!

**Staff-san: ***hisses back* Just do what the script says, damn it!

**Sora: ***huffs* Fine.

Listen up, you two - gah! *shuts eyes tightly* Will you stop doing that? My show is rated as general patronage! Don't just go around smooching with each other!

*fan girls' squealing*

**Misaki: ***blushes* We're not smooching! He was just saying - oh, stop smirking!

**Takumi:** *smirks more*  
**  
****Sora: **God, you're giving me a heart attack. Keep your hands and lips to yourselves, please? For the sake of my viewers' innocent eyes, think you can do that? Thank you.

*takes deep breathe*

Let's begin properly.

**Takumi: **Fire away, Sora-chan.

**Misaki: ***mutters* Oh boy...

**Sora: **First of all, I would like ask: how are you today?

**Takumi: **I'm doing just fine. That is, until you kidnapped us here and forced us to do an interview with you.

**Misaki: **Shut up, Takumi. That's not a very nice thing to say.

**Sora: ***smirks mischievously* You do realize that I can sabotage a certain story with just a flick of my finger?

**Takumi: ***forces a smile* Oh, I am absolutely fine! And thank you for inviting us here today; it's our pleasure and honor to be on this stage with you.

**Misaki: **Yes, yes. Real pleasure.

**Sora: ***smiles icky sweet* Why, it's a pleasure to me, too. *glare daggers to the couple* Quit acting. Let's proceed.

This question is for you, Princess. How are you adapting to your new life in the castle as the future queen?

**Misaki: **It's really tough, you know...

**Sora: ***poker face* No, I don't know. That's why I'm asking you.

**Misaki:***glowers*

**Sora: ***snickers* Sorry. Please continue.

**Misaki: **I'm going to put it this way: living in the castle as the future queen is like a situation where you want to pull your hair off and rip your own throat. That's how frustrating it is.

**Sora: **Does your husband help you?

**Misaki: ***rolls eyes* He's more like a massive distraction than a help.

*fan girls went "ooohhhh"*

**Sora: ***blinks then smirks* In what way does he keeps you distracted, Your Highness? Will you please elaborate that one?

**Takumi: ***eyes glint mischievously and smirks*

**Misaki:***frowns* What?

*then blushes beet red* No! It's not that - I mean, he always poking around me while I'm studying. He keeps pulling pranks on me and - oh, never mind! You and your dirty minds! *huffs angrily*

**Sora:**So... I'm not going to ask Prince Takumi on how he's handling his future queen, right? Princess Misaki gave us a vague insight and I think it's cool enough. We're rated General Patronage, after all. *winks at the prince*

Let's proceed to more deep and _meaningful _talks.

You have been married for almost half a year now, is there an instance where you two had a fight?

**Takumi: **What kind of fight? *raise eyebrows suggestively*

**Sora: **Stow away that perverted mind of yours. I'm talking about serious situation.

**Misaki: **Well, you know how we are; a day cannot pass without me yelling to his face and him pissing the hell out of me.

**Takumi: ***smiles charmingly*

**Sora:** This next question came from a dear friend of mine, who's not into this story, by the way. Or any of my fanfic stories for that matter.

Here's her question: What is your most recent discovery about your partner?

**Misaki: ***giggles* Takumi talks in his sleep.

**Sora: **Really? About what sort of things?

**Misaki: **Oh, nothing much. Just muttering my name a couple of times. *blushes*

**Sora: **Aw, that is so sweet. What about you, Prince Takumi? What is your recent discovery about your wife?

**Takumi: **I found out yesterday that she's pregnant.

_A long strip of silence passed through the studio._

**Sora: ***voice jumps a few octave higher* WHAT?!

*fan girls screaming and fainting*

**Takumi: **Yep, she's four weeks pregnant with our first baby. *kisses Misaki's hand*

**Misaki: ***smiles*

**Sora:** NO SH*T!  
**  
****Takumi:** I thought you knew. After all, you're the author of the story.  
**  
****Sora: ***total freak out* How the hell am I supposed to know when I didn't put any f*cking baby-making scene there?!

You two, *points to the couple with blazing eyes* how dare you snuck behind my back and give in to f*cking temptation?!

**Takumi:**We're married, what do you expect us to do? Stare into each other's eyes all night?

**Misaki:**I thought this was rated General Patronage? Why are you cussing worse than Hades' tormented souls?

**Staff-san:***appears magically and restrain the enraged host* Oi, Sora! You idiot, get a grip of yourself!

**Sora:***thrashes around and let out a long train of censored curses*

**Staff-san:***turns to other staffs* We need to put this crazy nutcase under sedatives!

**Sora:** Sh*t, this calls for an epilogue! An epilogue, I say! *drags away by staff-san behind the curtain*  
_  
__Another beat of silence._  
**  
****Misaki: **Uh, I guess we took another's life in surprise again.

**Takumi: **She'll get over with it. We better go home so you could rest.

**Misaki: ***rolls eyes* Takumi, I'm pregnant, not sick. Geez!

**Takumi: **Sorry for being an anxious husband. Anyway, let's say goodbye to Sora's faithful viewers, including Fujiwara Hiro-san. Sorry if we accidentally sent her to an asylum. She'll be out of there by the end of the month, I promise.

**Misaki: **Yes. So, please watch out for the epilogue of "How I Met the Prince" coming as soon as she's out of the mental hospital. On her behalf, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Bye-bye!

**:::**

**01/14/13 OWARI**

**:::**


End file.
